Pokemon Emblem: A Trainer's Fate
by Coral the Leviathan
Summary: A side story to Pokemon Emblem: Awaken the Ninja. While Coral and her friends are in Ylisse, a certain trainer is sent to a far off kingdom in a whole other timeline. Join Riana as she tries to find her way back home and discover why Pokemon and trainers are disappearing in Alola and why the latter group returned scarred and without their team.
1. Another Beginning

**I tried. I tried and tried. And then it became a debate with myself about this! I told myself, "I have enough stories to work on! Enough stories put on hiatus because of new stories I began!" I even myself of the false promise I made about doing one certain story I hadn't done yet! And yet how is it that I am more passionate about this one than that one?! Is it because it's a side story to Pokemon Emblem: Awaken the Ninja?! It must be because it's a side story to Pokemon Emblem: Awaken the Ninja! Yes, that's right readers! To those of you know me and/or favorite that very story, this is a side story to it! This takes place in Fates storyline with the same circumstance happening in the Pokemon world! Rather, this is taking place in the Fates storyline exactly during the situation that's happening in the Pokemon world in Awaken the Ninja! If that is still not making sense to you, think of the Before Awakening DLC in Fire Emblem Fates. Maybe that makes sense there.**

 **Anyway, unless if many of you will be liking this story as much as you and/or others does for my other stories, I will be making sure this story only stays with the prologue for a long, LONG while! Preferably after I'm done with Awaken the Ninja, at the very least!**

 **Now then, with that being said, do enjoy this story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Fire Emblem of any kind for either of them. I do, however, own my OC.**

* * *

The Alola region. One of the many regions in the world of Pokemon. It is also the one region that is formed by many islands and is quite famous for its resorts and a great attraction for many tourists. There, no crimes would be committed; people and Pokemon, both trained and wild, coexists with each other. Even the former team of villains, Team Skull, have started to do good on the four main islands, helping many people.

In one house, on Melemele Island, a teenage girl rested. She had her black hair down and sideswept bangs. She wore a legendary, sporty tank top, black capri pants and navy blue sporty knee socks. The door to her room opened and a figure snuck inside. It looked around the room until it locked eyes on the sleeping girl.

"Meowth!" it cried out. The girl seemed to ignore the sound and turned her back to it. The creature walked over to the bed and made a louder cry. "Meowth!" There seemed to be a response this time... but not what it wanted, for the girl took her pillow and placed it above her head. The creature pouted and cracked its fingers(?) and then its neck. Then, with a deep breath, it let out a terrifying screech. "MWROOOOOOOOW!"

"GAAAAHHHHH!" The girl jumped off the bed and fell on her butt. "Ow... Really, Meowth? You know I like my naps," she complained to the creature.

Said creature was a white cat, standing on its hind legs and had a gold charm on its head. "Meow," it simply said with such innocence.

The girl just sighed at the response. "Riana! Are you up yet?!" came a shout from below.

"I'm up! I'm up!" she responded, getting on her feet and making her way down stairs.

When she entered the living room, she saw an older woman setting food on the table. The woman had tanned skin, long wavy brown hair, and wore a white shirt and long, yellow floral skirt, as well as sandals and a set of sunglasses on her head. "About time someone got up," she said as she noticed Riana.

"Mom, you make me sound so lazy," the teen said. "It's not my fault I was running around from island to island to do errands for people." The older woman just looked at her daughter with a cheeky smile. Riana knew what that smile meant and sheepishly said, "Okay, maybe it was my idea."

Riana's mother just giggled at her daughter's kind heart. "You have a big heart. Maybe a bit too big for you."

"Hey, you know me. I help people whenever I can," Riana retorted, helping her mom set up the table.

"And in the process, you have a messy sleep and eat schedule," the older woman added.

"What about it is so messy?"

"Well, ever since you stayed over, of what I heard, you have been helping everyone, people and Pokemon alike, nonstop. Literally. You didn't stop to have some lunch, nor did you even bring any with you. That and you came home at five in the morning and slept in your traveling clothes rather than your sleepwear."

Riana gave her mom an odd look. "Rotom told you, didn't he?"

The older woman simply giggled. "Can you blame him for being my messenger?"

Riana just sighed in defeat. "I guess not. Where is he anyway?"

"He left to Professor Kukui's. Said something about getting an upgrade. You should head over later."

"Yeah. After some brunch that is." With that conversation coming to an end, the two enjoyed their meal.

* * *

After lunch, or brunch in Riana's case, was over, the teen put on her vacation hat, grabbed her gray satchel shoulder bag, put on her red, light hiking boots and left the house. Well, at least she was going to leave the house.

"Riana! One last thing!" her mother called.

"Yeah, mom? What's up?" she asked.

"I can't help but notice that you've always worn that hat since we got here. I'll be heading to Hau'oli Shopping District later today. Do you want me to get you a new hat?"

"I appreciate the thought mom, but I'm keeping this hat," the teen said. "After all the adventures I went though with it, I don't ever want to part with it."

Riana's mom seemed to understand what her daughter meant. "Okay sweetie. If you say so. Have a good day."

"Later!" Riana left the building.

When she was out of sight, the smile on her mom's face turned into a small frown. "You say that like it's a good thing... But in truth, you're punishing yourself for that day, aren't you?"

* * *

Back to Riana, she rushed down to Professor Kukui's place, taking the short cuts through the slopes. Once she arrived, not to her surprise, there was a ruckus going on in there.

"Oh boy... Again?" she muttered. Next thing she knew, a man familiar to her was kicked out of his house... literally.

He had on a lab coat, gray baggy pants and green shoes. His black hair was tied in a bun with a white cap with a rainbow symbol in the middle. He also had on glasses with green frames and a gray ring on his ring finger.

"Ouch... That Jump Kick really is a kicker," the guy stated/punned.

"Studying more moves, Professor?" Riana asked, approaching him.

"Huh?" The adult looked behind him and saw the teen. "Oh! Alola, Riana! What a good timing!"

"Define 'good'."

"I finished updating the Rotomdex. Rotom can now give you Roto Loto items!"

Riana tilted her head in confusion. "Roto Loto? What's that?"

Before Kukui could explain, a certain, red, floating object came in between them. "Let me explain- zzt!"

"Rotom! Morning!" Riana greeted.

"Actually, it's the afternoon- zzt. But besides that, Roto Loto is a new function of mine- zzt! It's like a slot machine that works every once in a while- zzt! You get random boosts based on what you get- zzt! An excellent example would be what you may have witnessed- zzt! Kukui tested this function earlier and got the Roto Boost, which increases the stats of all your Pokemon- zzt!"

Hearing that example made Riana's eyes widened slightly, her mind replaying some kind of scene. One where... No. Riana quickly shook her head, forgetting the thought that came to her. "That's awesome, Rotom!" she commented.

"Right- zzt? Right- zzt?!"

To Kukui, she then asked, "But why this upgrade, professor?"

"Well, before I answer that question, are you free? Do you have any more quests to finish?" he asked back.

"Huh? No, I finished it all yesterday."

"In that case, the reason why I am giving this upgrade to Rotom now is because of the rumors that goes on in Poni Island."

"Rumors? About what?"

"Apparently there are cases of trainers going missing there, and when they got back, they were never the same again. Not only that, but their Pokemon are also missing from their person."

Hearing that got Riana a bit tense. "You think someone is stealing their Pokemon?"

"From what it looks like, it's not a someone, but a something." When Kukui corrected that assumption, a thought came to her head... one she wanted to push away. "Hapu and Mina went to investigate the area of their disappearance and found something, but it just disappeared before they could check it."

"And I'm going with them to check it out?" Riana asked.

"Yeah. Whatever this is, we're gonna need the Island Captain, Island Kahuna and the champion to check it out." Oh yeah, Riana is also the champion of Alola. "And since we don't know anything about this threat, for safety measures, the Roto Loto boosts can greatly assist you."

"Leave it to me!" Riana took out a green item from her pocket. She took the ball out of one side and tossed it into the air. The ball opened up and an orange, dragon-like Pokemon came out of it. "Where should I meet them?"

"Vast Poni Canyon. They said to meet them there," Kukui answered.

"Okay then. Rotom, Charizard! Let's fly!" Riana shouted, getting on the Flame Pokemon, who took off the moment she was on him.

"Hey! Wait for me- zzt!" Rotom cried out, flying after them.

* * *

After a few hours of flying, the trio arrived at their destination. When they landed, Riana thanked Charizard, returned him to his ball and returned the ball in its spot on the Ride Pager. Rotom then flew right in her bag.

"Oh good, you're here," came a voice familiar to her. Riana looked up and saw a young girl with long black hair approaching her. The girl had on a khaki outfit with black boots, gray gloves and purple bonnet.

"Alola, Hapu," she greeted.

"Alola. Hope you got your A-Team, because we may need them," the kahuna said.

"Is it really that dangerous?"

The kahuna stayed silent at the question, unsure how to answer. "You... may want to take a look at this before we meet with Mina." The shorter girl walked over to one direction, prompting the champion to follow her.

* * *

The two girls arrived at Seafolk Village and what Riana saw... she didn't want to believe. There were many trainers there, all looking pale as if the world was ending. Some had bloodshot red eyes, whereas others had bags under their's, which tells her that these trainers had been crying since they returned or never slept. There were some trainers who looked unhealthily thin.

"These are the trainers that returned?" she asked the kahuna.

"Yeah. Mina and I tried asking them what happened while they disappeared and where their Pokemon were, but all we got was them screaming for something to stop or crying for someone to return their Pokemon to them," she answered.

"That's horrible..."

Rotom flew out of her bag. "You need to head to the Pokemon Center and get your best team like Hapu said then- zzt. If this is what happened to them, you have to bring your best."

"My best..." Looking at the group of trainers like so, hearing that she needed to bring her best team... they were bringing back bad memories that Riana didn't want to ever remember. Clenching her fist so hard, she slightly drew some blood, cutting herself out of her thoughts.

"Give me a minute to get my Pokemon," she said, walking to the Pokemon Center.

* * *

After exchanging her current team with her best, Riana followed Hapu to Vast Poni Canyon, where a teenage girl was waiting for them.

The girl had golden hair with pink paint splattered on the sides. She wore a beige shirt with a camouflage pattern, slightly ripped jeans, gray shoes and a bag filled with art supplies. Speaking of art, she was sitting on top of a boulder, drawing something.

The girl looked up and noticed Riana and Hapu walking towards her. "Alola. Took you two long enough."

"Sorry for the wait, Mina," Hapu apologized. "Had to take a... small detour."

Mina knew what Hapu meant and let the matter slide. "Then, shall we go?" The girls nodded and walked in the cave.

"I'm surprised you actually are taking on your role as the Trial Captain," Riana couldn't help but comment. "You usually care more for your paintings."

"Can't paint in peace if I have to worry about people disappearing and breaking down on us. Plus, like you said, I'm a trial captain. Though I don't make trials yet, I can at the very least do this part of the job."

Riana found herself nodding in agreement to that. "Professor Kukui said you two went on a recon around here. Anything that seemed out of place?"

"Just one thing," Hapu answered. "Just keep following us."

As they walked, going in one cave and out, walking across some bridges, Riana noticed one thing that was abnormal.

"Where are the Pokemon?" Riana remembered there being many Pokemon in the Vast Poni Canyon, and so far, they saw none.

Rotom flew out of her bag. "I'll do a quick scan- zzt." The machine started to do a scan. Seconds later, the machine let out a shocked beep. "What the-?! The population of Pokemon in the area is 80% of its usual population- zzt!"

Hearing that surprised Riana. "Wait, I thought it's only trainers who were disappearing!" she questioned.

"That's what we thought too, actually," Hapu said. "Mina and I were wondering where the Pokemon were."

"I assumed they were sleeping in," the trial captain corrected.

"No one, person or Pokemon, is like you," the champion and kahuna corrected.

The three went through another cave. This one had a pedestal in the middle of the area. "Is the Totem Pokemon gone too?"

"Can't say for sure. Don't forget, they only come when they see new challengers," Hapu reminded.

Riana nodded in agreement and the group of three continued on to the other side of the cave. They exited and walked up the long, slightly broken staircase, reaching to the top. To the Altar of Sun.

"This is where the missing trainers were found," Mina explained.

"The Altar of Sun? So wait, they were sent through the Ultra Wormhole? But that can't be possible," the champion said.

"That's what we thought, but the last time we were here, we saw something that looked like the sky opened up. Before we could confirm if it was an Ultra Wormhole, though, one of the missing trainers fell out and it closed up," Hapu explained. "I hope one of your best Pokemon is an Ultra Beast, because we may need its help to locate the hole and find out the time it opens."

Riana froze when she said that. "Well... About that..."

Hapu instantly caught on to the hesitation. "You didn't bring one!?"

"Hey, you said to bring my A-Team! I did just that!"

"Your A-Team doesn't include an Ultra Beast?!"

"You know it doesn't! You know my best team consists of-" Riana cut herself off when she saw something on the sun symbol.

"What's wrong?" Mina asked, noticing the champion's odd behavior.

Said teen couldn't believe what she was seeing, floating in front of the sigil. "N-Nebby?"

The trial captain and island kahuna looked up and saw nothing but the symbol. "What are you talking about?" the latter asked.

Riana was surprised to hear that question. Do they not see it? "What are you saying? Nebby's right there!"

In her eyes, floating before them was the very gaseous Pokemon with wisp-like extensions. The pre-evolved form of Alola's Legendary Pokemon, Cosmog. Or to Riana, Nebby.

"Riana, there's nothing there," Hapu told her.

Rotom flew out of Riana's bag, looking the direction Riana was as well as trying to scan for the Pokemon she was seeing. The result? "I'm not getting anything- zzt," Rotom informed.

"What? No. I know what I'm seeing! That's Nebby!" the champion retorted. On cue, the Cosmog turned, facing her. A smile was put on its face as it flew down to them. "See? It's just right in front of us now." Riana reached over to touch the smiling Pokemon.

Rotom, Mina and Hapu looked at each other in confusion, for they weren't seeing what Riana was. Before either of them could say a word, they saw something glowing where Riana was going to touch.

"Riana, wait!" Hapu called.

It was too late, for the moment Riana made contact with Nebby, the light glowed much brighter. The three trainers and Pokedex covered their eyes to prevent themselves from being blinded. As soon as the light died down, the group lowered their arms and saw one of them was missing.

"Zzt zzt zzt! Where is Riana- zzt?!" Rotom panicked.

* * *

 _ ***MEANWHILE, IN A VILLAGE FAR, FAR FROM ALOLA***_

A young girl was out in the woods, hunting for some boars. Today, it was her turn to bring back some meat to her village.

"I hope I don't run into those magical ones," she muttered.

For the past few weeks now, there were sightings of weird animals all around the continent. Apparently a few soldiers spotted some in both her kingdom and the neighboring kingdom... and ended up heavily injured. They were alive, yes. But they were heavily, extremely injured. And, from what she heard, scarred for life.

But so far, from what she heard from her villagers who went out hunting, there weren't any signs of these magical creatures, much to her relief, since they sounded stronger than the original animals and beasts near her village. And if they were stronger, that may mean they were smarter too.

"Wear..." she started to hear. The girl tensed, for that was not the sound a normal animal makes. "Bewar..."

"That sound... One of those magical creatures?!" she questioned, panicking slightly.

A bush rustled ahead of her. The girl got out a naginata to protect herself from whatever was coming out. Walking out was a big, black and pink bear with white ears and a pink tail with dark pink rings. She assumed it to be one of those magical creatures, for its face didn't look anything like a ferocious bear she was used to seeing. If anything, it was really cute.

"That's one of those magical creatures?" she questioned again, this time in a calmer tone. "It looks so friendly." The bear saw her and started waving its arms in a friendly fashion. "Aww. It's waving. That's even more cute." The girl waved back and began approaching the bear. "Hiya."

"Weaaar!" The cuteness meter suddenly dropped and the girl now had a dumbfounded look on her face... as she saw the beast easily knock down a nearby tree. Well, not really knock down, when the tall, sturdy plant broke in half.

At the sight of the bear easily knocking down a few more trees nearby in a berserk-like fashion, the villager got her guard up and pointed her weapon at it. With a shout, she charged at full speed to stab and instantly kill the creature... only for the latter to easily break the weapon like it did to the trees. The girl stopped and paused the second it did. Sweats immediately formed on her face as she looked up at the creature. It was there she felt something she hadn't felt in a long time since she started her first hunt with her fellow villagers; fear.

"AAAAHHHHHHHHH!" And so, she ran. Away from the bear that started to pursue her. Any obstacle she jumped over or ducked under, the insanely strong beast singlehandedly knocked down, not slowing down one bit. "Someone help me!" Unfortunately for her, what came next wasn't help, but instead, she tripped over a pebble at the worst possible timing. She heard footsteps drawing near and turned to see the bear closing in on her at a fast pace.

"Lycanroc! Use Accelerock!" Suddenly, a blur rushed past her and struck the bear, knocking it down. The blur landed before her and she noticed that it was a brown and white wolf with rocky spikes poking out of its mane. "Hey! You okay?!" The villager turned and saw a strangely dressed girl running up to her.

* * *

The first thing Riana saw when she lowered her arms wasn't Nebby, nor the Altar of the Sun, but that she somehow ended up somewhere in the woods. She traveled all four islands of Alola and memorized the trails and paths, but where she was at? She didn't know a thing about it.

"Where am I?" she wondered. After taking in her surroundings, she realized she was alone. "What the-? Rotom? Hapu. Mina?" Silence met her call.

"Someone help me!" Okay, not really for the silence part. Riana turned to the direction of the cry and saw a girl being chased by-

"A Bewear?! And it's out of control too!" she noticed. The pursued girl tripped and fell and Riana felt her good instincts taking over, as she reached for one of her Pokeballs. "Lycanroc! Use Accelrock!"

Riana enlarged and threw the ball over to the duo. It opened up and her trustworthy Wolf Pokemon was out and used his signature move at the Strong Arm Pokemon, knocking it down and ceasing its pursuit.

"Hey! You okay?!" she called to the villager.

The younger girl looked her way and hesitantly nodded. "Y-Yeah. I'm fine," she answered.

"That's a relief." The girls heard the Bewear groan and looked up to see it standing back up. "Lycanroc, you ready?!"

"Lycanroc!" Riana's Pokemon nodded.

The Bewear had purple aura surrounding its body and charged at the Wolf Pokemon. "That's Payback! Dodge it!" As soon as Riana gave that order, her Lycanroc leapt over the attack and the Strong Arm Pokemon. "Accelerock!" Once he landed on the ground, Lycanroc made a u-turn to his opponent.

The Bewear turned just in time to be hit in the gut. Almost as though anticipating the attack would strike there, Bewear's arm glowed and it struck the Rock-type hard on the head, slamming him down. With its other arm, it swung upwards, hitting Lycanroc in the jaw and knocking him into the air.

"Lycanroc!" Riana cried out in worry.

"That looked like it hurt," the villager girl said.

"It is. A Hammer Arm and a Brutal Swing is one tough combo. Especially since Lycanroc is weak against Fighting-type moves like Hammer Arm." The girl looked at Riana in confusion, for she knew not a thing about Pokemon types. "But..." A smile formed on Riana's face. "That's what's going to make this battle fun. Isn't that right, Lycanroc?!"

The Wolf Pokemon weakly got back up on all fours, an entertained smirk also on his face. "Canroc!"

"Bewear!" The Bewear charged in with another Brutal Swing.

"Block its path with Stone Edge!" At Riana's order, stomped both his paws into the ground, summoning pointed light blue rock pillars from the ground. One pillar suddenly got right in Bewear's path, causing it to stop in its tracks. Unfortunately for it, that didn't stop the Stone Edge from calling out another pillar from the ground below it, forcing it into the air. "Now Rock Climb!" With his claws glowing and extended, Lycanroc climbed up the pillars he created and leapt into the air after the Bewear, striking it down to the ground.

The girl let out a gasp in worry and shock, wondering if a fall like that killed the bear. To her shock and surprise, the creatures got back up, though it did struggle a bit from the damage it took.

"That's one tough Bewear. Sure is making this battle more interesting!" Riana exclaimed.

The villager couldn't help but be even more surprised at how the girl was thinking positive at a time like this. Not only that, but she seemed to know a lot about these creatures, especially since one of them is easily obliging to her orders.

As soon as Lycanroc landed on the ground, Bewear charged in with another Payback attack, something in which Riana once again noticed. "Grab its arm with Crunch!" The Wolf Pokemon timed the Strong Arm Pokemon's swing and managed to grab hold of it in its jaws. The Bewear seemed irritated by how skilled its opponent was and swung its bitten arm in a Brutal Swing, knocking Lycanroc into trees, in an attempt to force him to release it while breaking the trees apart. After seeing that it wouldn't let go, noticing a boulder nearby, it then went for the big rock.

The villager noticed this plan and panicked. "H-Hey! It's going to knock your wolf into that boulder!"

Riana was no fool; she knew Bewear was trying to force Lycanroc to let go, but all she needed was the right moment. Lycanroc himself knew his trainer and kept his grip.

Just as Bewear was going to swing into the rock, the Alola Champion shouted, "Now! Rock Climb!" Lycanroc quickly swung himself up, placing one, claw-extended paw on Bewear's head and, releasing his grip on its arm, pushed the Strong Arm Pokemon into the rock, knocking it into it head first as well as breaking it in half. "Did that do it?"

As if to answer Riana's question, Bewear stood back up again. Unlike before, though, it seemed quite wobbly, as if dazed.

"What...? What happened?" the villager dared to ask.

"Confusion from Rock Climb," Riana answered. "But that's still not enough. Lycanroc! Accelerock!" Lycanroc did as his trainer commanded and rushed at the bear, slamming into it.

Bewear's arm then glowed for another Hammer Arm and struck... hitting the ground instead of its opponent. Despite this, the Strong Arm Pokemon didn't seem at all fazed by the damage.

"Not done yet! Stone Edge! Send it sky high!" At Riana's orders, Lycanroc slammed his paws to the ground once more, calling out more rock pillars and sending Bewear into the air again. "Finish it! Rock Climb!" Lycanroc climbed up the stones once more, leaping into the air at Bewear's level. He then slammed a paw on its face and sent them both crashing to the ground, causing a lot of dust to rise from the impact.

Once the smoke cleared, Lycanroc took a few steps back from his opponent. The Bewear had swirls in its eyes, signaling its defeat.

"It's okay now," Riana assured the villager.

"O-Oh. That's good news. Thank you," she thanked with a grateful smile on its face. The smile faded when she saw Riana approaching the unconscious Bewear. "W-Wait! What are you-?!"

"I told you, it's okay," she interrupted, kneeling down by the Strong Arm Pokemon's side. "Hey, you okay?"

"Be..." The Bewear opened its eyes weakly.

"Sorry about that. But you were the one who started chasing that girl. Or is there more to this story?" Riana looked over to the villager as she said that last part.

"Why are ya looking at me?! All I did was walk up to it, an' next I know, it went on a rampage!" she defended.

Riana placed a hand on her chin, trying to remember something about Bewear that Rotom once told her about. "When you approached it, was it waving its arms?" she asked.

"Yeah. It did."

A sweat drop formed on her head. "You... don't know much about Bewear, do you?"

"Well... No, I don't. What does that have ta do with anything?"

"You see, when a Bewear waves, its arms, it's a sign of intimidation and warning. You have to run as soon as that happens," she explains.

"How was I suppose to know that meant instant death?!" the villager questioned.

Riana simply let out a nervous laugh. "I'm not scolding you or anything like that. Especially since it happened to me once. The person who told me about Bewear and their pre-evolved form, Stufful, wasn't around at that time so I thought it was a friendly gesture as it was suppose to mean, especially from a cute face. Imagine my surprise when I saw them both easily destroy boulders as I approached them."

"Same thing happened to me, only it destroyed trees like twigs," the villager added.

Silence engulfed the area. Next thing they knew, the two girls started laughing at how similar their experiences with the dangerous Pokemon were. The two Pokemon with them looked at each other, smiling.

After that friendly laugh, Riana gave Bewear some Oran and Sitrus Berries she had in her bag, healing it up. Once it was all healed, the Strong Arm Pokemon left the group and walked back into the deeper part of the woods, with the two girls waving their farewell to it.

"Oh yeah. My name's Riana. This is Lycanroc. What's your name?" the Alola Champion asked.

"My name's Mozu," the villager answered. "Riana, where are you from? I've never seen clothes like your's before."

That question and reaction caught Riana by surprise. Ever since she became Alola's first champion, everyone knew about her. "Wait, do you really not know who I am?" she questioned.

"Um... No. Should I?" Mozu asked back, getting even more confused.

"Am I in Alola?"

"A where now?" It was one thing to hear that she wasn't in Alola, which would explain why Mozu didn't know about her, but to not have heard of the region was a completely different story. Alola was famous for its resorts and the number one recommended place for tourists.

"Am I in some part of Kanto I don't know about?" Riana asked once more. Her question was responded with a head shake. "Jhoto?" Another head shake. "Hoenn? Sinnoh? Unova? Might be impossible judging by your clothes, but Kalos?" More headshakes were met. It was then, Riana realized something from both her previous journey and the incidents with the missing trainers. "Oh man. Uh, this may sound a little crazy, but I am very much so sure I am not in my world... And I may need help to get back home."


	2. Dealing with Bandits

**Merry late Christmas, readers~! Well, actually it's not midnight yet by the time this is up, so it's just a merry Christmas. Now, despite what I said in the previous chapter about how this story will stay in a prologue, I decided, since it's Christmas, why not one more chapter? So here it is. Another chapter of Pokemon Emblem: A Trainer's Fate. Enjoy~**

 **Now then, with that being said, do enjoy this story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Fire Emblem of any kind for either of them. I do, however, own my OC.**

* * *

Last chapter, Riana, the champion of the Alola Region, arrived on Poni Island to help Hapu and Mina investigate the mysterious disappearances and reappearances of missing trainers, all who had returned scarred, frightened, and Pokemon-less. As she arrived at the Altar of the Sunne, she thought she saw something familiar and was taken to a whole new world as a result. In this new world, she met Mozu and both girls and Riana's Lycanroc were on their way to the latter's home.

"So, you're from another world where creatures like that bear from earlier are very common and lived with them peacefully for centuries?" the villager asked. As they walked, Riana told Mozu of the Pokemon world and how she ended up in the middle of the woods.

"That's about it, yes," the trainer in question answered. "Sounds crazy, I know. Though it wouldn't be the first time I traveled to another world."

"Well, if it wasn't for your clothes and how you managed to communicate well with your pet wolf and that bear, I would've kept thinking that you're trying to pull my leg still."

"My 'pet wolf' is called a Lycanroc. And the Pokemon it battled earlier was a Bewear. Some Pokemon names are easy to remember, so I won't blame you if you forget what they're called."

"Roc," Lycanroc barked.

"Lycanroc thinks so too."

Mozu couldn't help but look at the two in awe. "I am still quite amazed at how well you two are communicating. It's even better than us farmers with our farm animals."

"Well, Pokemon are smarter than humans, so maybe that's why it makes communication that much easier," Riana replied.

"And they're okay with being treated as pets?"

"So to say, yeah. Pokemon can be your family, your best friend, even your pet. I remember when Lycanroc was a Rockruff."

Mozu raised a brow at those words. "It was a different species?"

"Sort of. I'll explain that later, if I can. Anyway, back when he was a Rockruff, this little guy likes to play, a lot. When it sees kids, the first thing he does is rush over and greet them. And it wouldn't leave their side until their either hug or pet him. He was nothing but a little troublemaker back when he was young. Trouble as in me with the parents."

"Roc lycanroc!" Lycanroc barked in denial.

"Oh come on, you know that's true!" Riana retorted. "Don't pretend you were an innocent little puppy that time. All that rubbing could've given those kids scars. You're too lovable back then!" The Midday Wolf Pokemon pouted and blushed in embarrassment at the mere memory.

"That does sound like something a pet would do," Mozu said, holding back some laughs.

"Yeah. But as time pass, he started to mature and stopped rushing over to kids with all those cuddles. In return though... he got fierce in battles," Riana continued.

"Battles? You pit Pokemon in fights with each other?!" the villager gasped in shock.

"It's not what you think, I'm sure. In my world, Pokemon battle is a type of sport. It's where trainer and Pokemon become one as a team to defeat their opponents. Wild Pokemon battle with each other too. Plus, like I said, Pokemon are quite intelligent, so if their trainer takes training too hard, they can just leave their trainer. I've had some Pokemon who used to belong to trainers. But because of how irresponsible they were, they left them and went into the wild. If you ask me, all that matters in Pokemon battling is trust. Without that trust, how can I ever call myself a good trainer to my Pokemon?"

Mozu didn't know what to say to any of that. "Oh wow... And Lycanroc completely trusts you?"

Riana looked down at the Wolf Pokemon at that question, who looked back up at her. "He does. We trust each other with anything. Us and all my other Pokemon." She petted him on the head.

"You have other Pokemon?" the villager noticed from the champion's words.

"One thing at a time Mozu. I may need to get the whole village to trust Lycanroc enough to not be scared of it before letting out the rest of my team. Some may look a bit... menacing to them after all."

"I understand. Speaking of, we're here." Riana looked up and saw a small town ahead of them. There weren't much houses, and the people there wore similar clothes to Mozu's. Riana also noticed some brown, flameless Ponyta in town.

One of the villagers noticed the girls approaching. "Hey! Mozu's back!" he called.

Everyone else looked and saw the girl returning with some guests.

"Who's that girl with her?"

"Is that a wolf with them?"

"Doesn't look like an ordinary wolf. You think it's one of those... magical creatures?"

"Then is she in danger?"

"Are we in danger?"

After hearing that last question, Mozu panicked a bit. "N-No, it's not what you think! These two are good! The magical creatures aren't what others think!"

"Mozu. You do realize that saying all that with a panicked expression isn't really helping us, right?" Riana asked her with a slight sweat drop.

"Canroc," Lycanroc agreed, also sweat dropping at the expression.

An elderly approached the two girls and Midday Pokemon. "Mozu, who is this girl? She isn't a Nohrian, is she?"

"Nohrian?" Riana repeated in a questioned tone.

"No, elder! It's not like that!" Mozu answered. "This is Riana. She's from the same world the Magical Creatures came from."

"Alola! Oh wait, I mean... It's nice to meet you all," the Alolan Champion greeted.

Mozu noticed the slip up and was about to ask, when the elder spoke before her. "Riana, you're from the same world the Magical Creatures are from?"

"Well yes. Only they're not called 'Magical Creatures'; we call them Pokemon." Riana noticed a lot of confused looks on everyone's faces. "I see I have a lot of explaining and story telling to do today, don't I Lycanroc?"

"Lycanroc," the Midday Wolf Pokemon nodded. The moment he spoke, the villagers were instantly reminded of the lone Pokemon in the group and panicked slightly. Some even took a few steps back and some parents kept their children close to them.

"Something tells me you guys didn't have a good history with Pokemon," Riana said.

"I-It's not that, really," Mozu told her. "We may have heard some rumors about how a few soldiers from this kingdom fought against some magical creatures and were told they almost died..."

Thinking back on their encounter with Bewear, Riana saw the point Mozu was making. "Riiiight... Well, after facing that Bewear I can see why you would think they're incredibly dangerous, especially by the name itself for that one species, but I assure you all, Pokemon are not all dangerous."

"But they still are, aren't they?" a villager asked, seemingly glaring at Lycanroc.

"They can be dangerous, but that doesn't mean they are. If they are dangerous, then Lycanroc here would've already attacked all of you."

Everyone still seemed unsure of the Wolf Pokemon.

"It's true, though! He's harmless as a pup! Only he's a wolf," Mozu said.

Even though she vouched for him, no one was still sure about the Rock-type before them. Riana didn't want them all to fear Pokemon forever, but she didn't know what do to.

A woman looked at Mozu and seemed to have noticed something. "Mozu, where's the hunt?"

The girl gasped at the question. "Oh no..."

Those two words brought more fear on the villagers' faces.

"You didn't bring any back? Mozu, you have to go back out there!" the woman said.

"Whoa, wait. I may not know what's going on here, but you can't ask Mozu to go back when it's this late," Riana told her.

"You don't understand! If she doesn't-!"

"They're here!" a voice interrupted, as a villager in his late teens ran over to them. "The bandits are here for the tribute!"

Hearing those words, everyone's faces fell.

Riana and Lycanroc looked at Mozu in confusion. "Wait, did he say 'bandits'? For what tribute?"

"... Our lives..." the trembling villager answered. "You two, hide over here!" Mozu led Riana and Lycanroc behind a large stack of wood and gestured them to crouch down, in which they did.

Few seconds later, a group of men carrying spears or bows and arrows entered the village, led by a man with a sword strapped to his waist.

' _That looks like the leader,_ ' Riana thought.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? A group of villagers gathered in the center of the village. Looks like you guys knew we were coming. Which means, the payment should also be prepared by now," the sword wielder said. "So pay up!"

The villagers grimaced at the order and got out many sorts of provisions, which seemed enough to feed the villagers for a few weeks. Riana noticed that the bandits didn't seem amused by the amount.

"We're missing some more meat here, don't you think?" the leading bandit questioned.

"We were just about to go and get some," the village elder told him. "If you can be patient for a few more minutes-" Before he could finish his sentence, the guy punched the senior citizen in the face, to everyone's horror and Riana and Lycanroc's shock.

"When we said we'll come at this time to get the exact amount of tribute, we mean we will come for that amount. Otherwise, we will either take some substitutes or kill off some of you." When he said that, he eyed some female villagers, to their fear.

Riana and Lycanroc were about to intervene, when Mozu stepped up and shouted, "Please wait!"

"Mozu?!" the woman from earlier gasped.

"It's my fault we didn't have enough. I was suppose to bring back some boar meat, but forgot..."

' _She's covering us?!_ ' Riana mentally gasped.

The leading bandit looked at the girl. "Do you have any parents, girl?" he asked.

"It's me!" the woman called out. "I'm her mother! Whatever you're going to do with my child, just take me instead!"

"Mother, no!" Mozu cried out.

A smirk formed on the swordsman's face. "Well, in that case, we'll take you both!" Before anyone has had a chance to react, two spear wielders and an archer grabbed hold of Mozu and her mom.

"W-Wait! Perhaps we can negotiate..." the elder wheezed.

"You know the consequences, old man. And since you don't seem to be willing to see your people be taken, why don't I make things easy for you and end your pitiful life?" The swordsman took out his sword and raised it to behead the elder.

That was the last straw for Riana and her Pokemon. "HEY!" the former cried out as she revealed herself, grabbing everyone's attention. "Leave them alone! Lycanroc, Accelerock!" The Midday Wolf Pokemon leapt over the stack of logs and, with great speed, tackled the lead bandit away from the village elder, as well as knocking Mozu and her mother's nappers away from them.

Seeing that made the other villagers take a step back in fear.

"What is she thinking?!"

"Is she crazy?!"

"She's going to get herself killed!"

Riana could easily tell that the villagers were either underestimating her or the bandits before her must be really strong to instill fear into them.

"Who the hell are you?!" the leader demanded, recovering from the attack.

"We're your worst nightmare," she simply answered.

One of the spear wielding bandits seemed to recognized Lycanroc. "Hey, Boss Yuto. Isn't that wolf... one of those animals?"

The leader, Yuto, took a good look at Lycanroc and noticed that it really was nothing like an ordinary wolf he knew. "Hey, yeah. You're right. Which means, it's one of those magical creatures. And that also means..." A smirk grew on his face again. "Change of plan, boys! We're getting that wolf thing instead with the tribute!"

Riana narrowed her eyes at the declaration, her lips forming a smirk of her own as she took it as a challenge. "Five minutes." Everyone grew confused at the time limit. "If you can land a hit on me or Lycanroc within five minutes, then you can get your prize. If you fail, however, well, that's for you to find out."

Hearing such confidence annoyed Yuto. "Are you looking down on us?! Do you even know who we are?!"

"All I know is that you're nothing but a bunch of cowards and bullies. And if there's one thing my team and I especially can't stand, it's bullies!"

Being called 'bullies' is one thing, but 'cowards' on the other hand... Yuto wasn't going to let her get away with that. "You had to go and say it. Kill her boys!" The archers got in position first, all readying their arrows while the spear fighters all charged at Riana and Lycanroc.

"Riana, get out of there!" Mozu cried out.

"Don't worry about it, Mozu," the Pokemon trainer calmly told her. Just as one archer released his arrow, she then shouted, "Stone Edge!"

Instantly, Lycanroc slammed his front paws down, summoning his pillar of rock and blocked the arrows.

"What the-?!" A spear fighter gasped in shock, as more rocky pillars emerged from the ground and sent all the bandits with spears in the air.

"Rock Climb!" At Riana's next order, Lycanroc's claws glowed and grew and the Rock-type Pokemon climbed up from pillar to pillar to the airborne bandits and knocked them all down, one by one, to the archers below.

Yuto couldn't believe the sight before him. "What the hell just happened?!"

"Hey, what's wrong? I thought you were going to put us in our place," Riana said as she smirked.

The villagers around them, on the other hand, just stood in shock or awe.

"Wait, did that just happen?"

"It did, didn't it?"

"I can't believe what I just saw..."

Yuto took out his sword and pointed it at Lycanroc. "I'll take you down myself then!"

"Tick tock, then. Those five minutes aren't going to last long," Riana said. Annoyed at the casual tone, the leader bandit charged at Lycanroc with a killing intent. "Use Accelerock!" Lycanroc instantly slammed himself into Yuto's gut, forcing the guy to skid back a few feet.

Yuto growled as he charged once more with his sword in hand. "I'll get you!"

"Rock Climb!" The Wolf Pokemon's claws glowed and grew once more, smacking the blade away each and every time Yuto swings his sword. The villagers were all mesmerized by the battle before them, they didn't notice a few archers taking position elsewhere, aiming their arrows at Riana.

Mozu was the first to notice one archer on the roof of a house and who he was aiming to kill. "Riana!"

"Accelerock!" Apparently the Alolan Champion and her Pokemon noticed the archers as well, for as soon as the former made that order, Lycanroc used Yuto as a footing and shot himself to the rooftop where one of the archers were. The Midday Wolf Pokemon struck the bandit hard, making him tumble down to the ground. "Your nine o'clock!" The Wolf Pokemon then turned to the direction his trainer called and shot toward another archer, hidden behind some barrels and knocked him out. "Behind me on my left!" Lycanroc shot towards the last archer, hidden behind the stack of logs they were hiding behind earlier, and took him down as well.

That surprised the audience and Yuto even more. "How?! How could you have known?!"

"I can't call myself a good trainer if I don't pay attention to my surroundings and my Pokemon's. As a trainer, I should make good use of my surroundings and keep one step ahead of my opponent," Riana answered. She then reached into her bag for something and said, "Now then, I believe those five minutes are up." She took out what seemed like a bracelet and put it on around her left wrist. "Time to end this, don't you think, Lycanroc?"

"Lycanroc," the fully evolved Pokemon nodded in agreement.

Everyone else was confused as to what she meant, especially since she was just putting on some ordinary bracelet.

Yuto voiced out their question. "And what good is that bracelet? I don't see anything special about it!"

"Try saying that again after this," Riana dared, as she crossed her arms across her chest then in front. A dark brown aura formed around her after she squatted down and stood back up, her arms pumped. The aura grew as she turned to the side and made a pose that seemed as though she was showing off whatever muscles she had. "Have a taste... of what our bonds can do! _**CONTINENTAL CRUSH!**_ " The aura was transferred over to her Lycanroc, who leapt into the air. Rocks from the ground were summoned over to him, gluing themselves together to form a massive boulder. Some villagers paled and fainted at the sight while others ran in an attempt to escape from certain death.

The wakening bandits were among those that were running away. Yuto, on the other hand, just froze in shock and fear at what the Midday Wolf Pokemon was doing. The boulder was then hurled at the lone bandit, whom tried to run, but stumbled and fell, leaving him to only watch and scream as his world was about to end.

 _ **BOOM!**_

And explosion occurred the moment the rock hit the ground, causing those that remained to close their eyes and cover their faces from the wind. As the smoke died down, to everyone's surprise, none of the houses were torn down by the attack. The only thing, rather the only person, affected by the attack was an extremely pale Yuto, with some foam coming out of his mouth.

Riana calmly walked over to his side and knelt down. "So... either you will get another dose of that move, and one with a killing intent at that, or you and your group can leave this village and never return again. It's your choice," she told him.

"... W-... We'll go..." he managed to speak. The otherworldly girl was happy with his answer.

The next thing the villagers knew, the bandits were all high-tailing out of their home at high speed, dragging their unconscious comrades and their traumatized leader with them. All the villagers cheered as soon as they left and surrounded Riana and Lycanroc, thanking them for driving the bandits out of their village.

"That was amazing! How did you do that?!" Mozu asked.

"Lots of experience and bonding time. Right, Lycanroc?" Riana answered, looking at her Wolf Pokemon as she asked.

"Canroc," he happily nodded in agreement.

"How can we ever thank you for helping us the way you did?" the elder asked.

"You don't have to. Helping people is what I do, especially from jerks like those guys," the trainer answered.

"You with this behave wolf?" a young male villager asked.

"Do you really know of the magical creatures that have been appearing in Hoshido?" a female villager followed.

"Well yes but... I may need to explain from the beginning," Riana told them.

And so, she gave them a detailed explanation she had told Mozu; about the world she and the Pokemon are from and what Pokemon are. By the looks on some villagers' faces, she could tell that they didn't believe her.

"Young lady. This is quite a tale you're telling," the elder said.

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth. No one knows about Pokemon, right? Plus, look at the clothes I'm wearing; do they look familiar to you in any way? Mozu would've thought I was crazy if it weren't for these," Riana said.

"Now, now, child. I didn't say I don't believe you. But for you to be in another world, do you perhaps know how to get back?" Riana went silent at that question.

"I... I don't. I kind of know how I got here, but something tells me it's not going to help me get back home."

' _Not only that, but while I'm here, it'd be good for me to find out what caused the missing trainers to return so broken and where their Pokemon are,_ ' she mentally added.

A smile formed on his face. "Then why not stay here in our village?" That offer surprised Riana. "We can't have you going off on your own. Not when you don't know your way around our kingdom. There's also that war going on between Hoshido and Nohr and it would be tragic if you met up with some Faceless along the way."

Riana took a bit of time to consider what he said. "You do have a point. Plus you guys did think that I was one of those 'Nohrians'. Even if I get to another village, they might not be as open minded as you guys are."

Everyone smiled at her decision.

"Well then, while you're here for the night, why don't we celebrate this day? Let's have a feast for our hero!" The villagers all cheered in agreement at the elder's suggestion, much to Riana's embarrassment.

* * *

After a huge feast was held, Riana stayed at Mozu and her mother's, seeing as they didn't have inns in the village. Lycanroc was back in his Pokeball, which raised a few questions about the balls in which the champion explained.

"We'll have a bed set up for you in a few," Mozu's mother told her. The group of three were up in what seemed like an attic, which was also Mozu's room.

"You don't have to. I have a sleeping bag on me," the Pokemon trainer told her, as she took out the bag in question from her satchel.

"I am amazed at how you can actually fit that in a bag that small," Mozu said.

"That was my reaction when I first found out about this too. I still can't believe the amount of stuff I have in this bag of mine."

"What else do you have in that bag?"

"Various amount of berries, lost of Pokemon medicine, lots of Pokeballs, some proteins for Pokemon, evolutionary stones, a fishing rod, and other sorts of items." Mozu and her mother's eyes widened at the amount of stuff that were said to be in her bag in disbelief.

"All that is kept in there?!" the former asked.

"And a spare clothes. When you travel around, you often find yourself in the middle of the woods, lost and most likely around trouble. It's best for a trainer to be prepared for anything," Riana answered.

"Well, you won't have to worry about clothes. While you're here, I'll lend you some hand-me-downs," Mozu's mother said.

"You don't have to. Giving me shelter and food is more than enough."

"Nonsense. You may have helped us out, but you're still a child. Let this old lady assist you when she can."

Riana couldn't help but have a smile form on her face. "If you insist then. Thank you."

The old woman smiled back at her. "Great! Then I'll start searching for any spare clothes I have." She left the room and started searching.

"She really doesn't have to do that, though," Riana said to Mozu.

"There's no changing my mother's mind when it's made up," the young villager told her.

"I can tell. In fact she kind of reminds me of my mom."

"Well, we best get some sleep for the night. Tomorrow'll be another day of farming and hunting."

"You have to be up real early, right? Maybe I can help out."

Mozu looked at Riana in slight shock. "Are you sure? You don't have to help out."

"I insist. Besides, like I said earlier, helping people is what I do."

The teen villager seemed to be considering her offer. "Well, we do need some extra hands. And you said you have more Pokemon on you, right? I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say we'd like to meet them all. And it could help us get work done faster."

Riana flinched slightly at those statements, in which Mozu noticed. "Yeah... Probably not a good idea. Lycanroc is one thing, but don't forget I have some menacing looking Pokemon. So until I'm sure exactly if they're okay with Pokemon in general, not just Lycanroc, then I can call them all out."

Though the trainer had a point, especially since Mozu herself wasn't sure if she would see cute things the same way again after Bewear, the villager couldn't help but feel like Riana was hiding something. Despite that, she didn't pry into it.

"Yeah. You have a point there," she said. "It's getting late. Let's get some sleep."

"I second that," Riana agreed, freeing her hair from its ponytail and lying down in her sleeping bag. "Night Mozu."

"Good night, Riana." The villager lied down on her own bed and slept.

While the girl was asleep, Riana couldn't help but think about what she said about wanting to meet her other Pokemon. She then thought about the last time she called out her team, which was a long while. ' _I know I chose to bring them myself, but I'm still not confident enough,_ ' she thought. ' _If only you knew, Mozu... About the last time I spoke with my team._ ' Her mind went back to a horrible memory. One that was filled with destruction, her crying and screaming for something to stop, two big Pokemon, one black and one white, clashing each other, five other Pokemon lying on the ground in defeat and heavily injured. The Alolan Champion turned to her side and clutched her head. ' _I... I don't ever want that to happen again... I want to make up with them but... I'm so... weak..._ '


	3. Special: The Princess and the Sea Lion

**I know what I said, but this is not a continuation of the story from Riana's side. Yes, this is the update for this story, but not in a way you think. This... is more of a flashback, for what you will see in future chapters. Think of this as... an additional prologue. There will be another one coming. I don't know when I will put it up, but there will be another additional prologue in this story.**

 **You all will know whose perspective this will be in, but all I will say, and this is important, THIS TAKES PLACE 10 YEARS BEFORE THE STORY BEGINS! 10 YEARS!**

 **Ahem. Now then... Let's start this special chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Fire Emblem of any kind for either of them.**

* * *

The kingdom of Hoshido. A peaceful kingdom founded by humans loyal to the Dawn Dragon. A kingdom that benefited from the fair, sunny weathers, giving the people many resources, enough that they would not want for anything else, making crimes extremely rare. In addition to that, the royal family of Hoshido is loved by many. Well, almost all of them.

At a lake near Castle Shirasagi, home to the royals, a little girl stood, singing to no one but nature and herself. She had long, blue hair and wore white clothes.

"A burdened heart~... sinks into the ground~... A veil falls away without a sound. Now day or night, wrong or right, for truth and peace you fight~"

This girl was Azura, one of the Hoshidan royal children. Or so it was announced, at least. Azura wasn't like the other kids; she wasn't born into the family, but adopted. Well, it wouldn't really be called an adoption.

Weeks ago, the late king of Hoshido was killed in Cheve after arriving to seek truce and alliance with Nohr, the rival kingdom, and one that seemingly seeks war against Hoshido. With the death of the king was a kidnap of one of his children. In response, a few ninjas snuck in and kidnapped Azura, in hope that they could trade the child back. However, there was no response to this action. One of the ninjas suggested to kill the Nohrian, as she had no value to them. Fortunately for Azura, just as he was about to take her life, Mikoto, the queen of Hoshido, arrived and stopped him from doing the job. Then, whether it was an attempt to fill the void created from losing her child or the prevent leaving the young Nohrian parentless, Mikoto took Azura in as one of her own.

However, as kind as the gesture was, not everyone was accepting Azura the way the queen had. Even though she had conjured up a barrier to prevent Nohrians from fighting within their land, they were still wary of the outsider. Not even the princes and princesses were showing any trust in Azura.

Though she should be upset with how everyone was distancing themselves from her, Azura didn't mind their actions. She was used to being lonely, for she wasn't even born a Nohrian. But that was a story for another time.

"Sing with me a song~... Of silence and blood. The rain falls, but can't wash away the mud~. With my ancient heart dwells~, madness and pride. Can no one... hear my cry~?"

As Azura sang the last line of the song, the very song taught to her by her mother, she felt something trail down her cheek. Ceasing her singing, she wiped her face and found that she was shedding tears. She missed her mother, her late birth mother. She may be used to being alone, but she didn't like it. No one in both Hoshido and Nohr would ever want to be around her. It was only her mother who was with her back in Nohr... and she's gone. There was no one willing to talk to her back there, and there's no one besides the queen who was willing to speak to her in Hoshido.

Azura continued to shed tears as she thought of how lonely she was, and how she really, truly wanted a friend.

"POP!" A cry was heard, surprising her. She looked up and around for the source. Nearby, she saw what seemed like a blue sea lion getting picked on my a few birds.

Seeing this reminded Azura of how she or her mom would be bullied by other woman and children back in Nohr and disgusted her.

"Hey! Stop picking on it!" she cried out, running to the group of animals.

The birds saw her approaching and flew off, leaving the scratched-up sea lion and a few berries behind. As the birds flew away, Azura took a look at the mammal. "You poor thing. I'll get you some help!" The young princess took the sea lion in her arms and ran as fast as she could back to the castle.

* * *

She didn't know what she had expected when she arrived, but when Azura got to her destination, she asked the guards to either get Queen Mikoto or take her to the infirmary. The results? Not so good.

"You don't understand! It needs help!" she cried out.

"And as I said, Queen Mikoto is too busy and our infirmary is not a place for animals," the guard retorted.

"But there has to be something you can do!"

"I'm a guard, not an errand boy. You want to help that thing? Do it yourself."

Just when Azura was about to continue to beg the guard to do something to help, a familiar voice called out to them. "What's going on here?" The two turned to the source and saw Mikoto walking over to them. "What's all the commotion?"

"Y-Your majesty! I was just-!"

Azura cut the guard off. "It's this little guy! It needs help!"

One look at the injured sea lion and Mikoto was instantly concerned for it. "Prepare the infirmary!" she ordered. Noticing his hesitance, she urged him even further. "Now!" At that shout, he quickly rushed to the room. To Azura, Mikoto assured, "Don't worry. It'll be okay."

The young girl nodded at her words and followed the queen to the infirmary room.

* * *

When they arrived, Azura gently placed the sea lion on a bed. A servant handed Mikoto a healing staff, in which the queen used to heal the mammal's wounds. Once that was done, the queen gave the animal another check up.

"I've never seen a sea lion like this one. Where did you find it?" she asked the child.

"By the lake..." Azura answered, worried about the mammal in question.

After looking over the creature, with a gentle smile, Mikoto told her, "It's going to be okay. All it needs is some rest."

Azura was relieved to hear that and rubbed the creature's head. The sea lion unconsciously nuzzled her hand, as if wanting more.

Mikoto couldn't help but smile at this little act. Ever since Azura arrived in Hoshido, the young girl was either tense or just closed herself off from the world. Then again, it wasn't like there was anyone on Hoshido who was willing to be friendly with her. Not even her children were willing to give her a chance. Well, Sakura was still a baby, and the sitters didn't want Azura anywhere near the youngest Hoshidan princess. Hinoka was constantly either training herself or trying to head to Nohr to save her kidnapped sister. Ryoma was busy with training. And Takumi? He just refused to give Azura a chance. To see her adopted daughter so open like so made Mikoto really happy.

"I'll be a bit busy attending to my duties as queen to care for this little one. Why don't you watch over it? Until it gets better," Mikoto suggested.

Azura was a bit surprised with the request. "Really?"

"Of course. You are the one who found it. And you brought it here. I'll be sure to tell everyone to assist you should you need anything."

Azura nodded at the responsibility and watched over the sea lion.

* * *

Late in the afternoon, as the sun was starting to set, the girl was still watching over the sleeping animal. She knew it was sleeping; she could see its back rising with each, peaceful breath. That, and when Azura moved her hand away from its head, the mammal would squirm around a little and whimper, as if wanting her to keep petting it as it slept.

Being a kid she was, though, to watch over the sea lion as long as she had was making the girl quite sleepy. Just when Azura was about the fall asleep, she heard a familiar sound.

"Pop?" The kid shot herself up and rubbed sleep out of her eyes. Regaining her senses, she saw the sea lion wide awake, staring right at her.

The sight of it awake brought a smile on her face. "You're awake!" Rushing over to the door, she requested a guard, "Please call Queen Mikoto over here!"

The guard saluted and ran to find the queen. Azura looked back at the sea lion, whom shied away from her eyes.

"It's okay. Your'e safe here," she assured. The girl walked over to its bed and picked up a small basket of fish. "Are you hungry? Have some fish." She placed the basket down by its side.

The sea lion took a whiff at the contents and turned its head away in disgust, much to Azura's confusion.

"What's wrong? Don't you eat fish?" she asked.

It shook its head in response.

Azura became worried at the answer. "What do I do? A servant said sea lions eat fish. If you don't eat fish, then what do you eat?"

Just as she asked that, Mikoto walked in with a bowl of sliced peaches. "What's wrong, Azura?"

"Oh! Queen Mikoto!"

Noticing the sea lion awake and alert, the queen stated, "My. I see our guest is finally up."

"Yeah. But it won't eat its food," Azura informed.

"Really? That's odd. Sea lions eat fish."

"But it won't eat them." The little girl looked back at the mammal. She noticed it was staring at something and followed its line of sight to the bowl in Mikoto's hands. One look and she had an idea as to what it wanted.

The queen, herself, also noticed the stares and got the same idea as her adopted daughter. "Hmm... I wonder..." She handed Azura a slice, whom held it out to the sea lion. The blue mammal shied away form her hand.

"It's okay. It's fruit," she calmly told it. She took a bite of the sliced fruit, showing that it was edible.

The sea lion inched closer to the fruit. It took a sniff and took the rest of the slice in its mouth. As it ate the peach, it let out a happy bark.

Seeing the smile on its face brought a smile on Azura's. "It ate the peach!" she happily exclaimed.

"Yes, indeed," Queen Mikoto happily agreed, setting the bowl down on the bed. Both girls watched as the blue animal started to devour the sliced peaches in it. "How unusual, though. I've never seen, heard, or read about a sea lion that eats peaches."

Hearing that, Azura couldn't help but wonder if the creature was like her; away from its real home, which is not heard by many.

"Queen Mikoto?" she called, looking up at the queen.

"Yes Azura?" she asked.

"Can we keep it?" Azura wanted to ask that question, but couldn't. She may have been adopted into the Hoshidan royal family, but that didn't mean she should ask for more than what was already offered to her. At least, she didn't feel that she should; she felt she was freeloading enough.

"No. It's nothing," she said, looking back at the sea lion.

The queen was no fool, though. She knew Azura wanted the sea lion to stay. She would allow it, especially considering the intelligence she was seeing in its eyes. However, she wanted to hear Azura ask for it to stay.

"I have some more work to attend to," Mikoto informed. "If you ever need anything else, don't hesitate to call for me."

"Okay..." With that, the adult left the room.

Azura simply continued to watch their guest eat, second guessing her decision to keep silent. When she and her mother were forced to leave their home, they had nowhere to go and no one to go to. They were strangers in Nohr in every way. It was her mother and her voice that got them a home to stay in, but in the process, it also gave her a difficult childhood, more than it already was.

Whatever this sea lion was, it was also alone. She saw the birds attacking it earlier. And even if it was just a normal animal, it was still undoubtedly far from its normal habitat.

' _It's like me,_ ' she thought. ' _But... I'm already troubling Queen Mikoto enough. I want to take care of it, but I can't. What do I do...?_ '

The mammal seemed to have sensed her uneasiness and looked up at the girl in concern. "Pop?"

Azura looked back at it and noticed the look it had. "Oh. It's nothing. Nothing that... you'd understand that is..."

The sea lion saw the sad look remaining on her face. She didn't know, but it knew what was going on; how the girl saved it, how she had been looking after it, and from what it can see, she wasn't sure if it could stay. If it was up to it, it'd want to stay with the girl. Aside from the fact that she saved it, it could also tell that Azura was quite lonely, and it didn't like that. It may not know where it ended up, but where it came from, no child should be without a friend.

"Pop po," it called, getting Azura's attention. The next thing she knew, it was doing something she was sure a sea lion couldn't do; it started blowing bubbles from its nose.

"Huh?!" It started off with one bubble. Then it blew another bubble. And another, and another, and another. Soon enough, the infirmary room was filled with bubbles.

Azura was bewildered by how the mammal had bubbles coming out of its nose. However, seeing the room full of them, a smile formed on her face.

"Wow! That's amazing!" she exclaimed, popping one bubble.

"Pop! Popplio!" the sea lion clapped happily, glad to have turned her frown upside down.

Meanwhile, outside the room, four young kids were walking down the halls. Well, three kids and one infant to be exact. They were none other than Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi and Sakura, the youngest of the four carried by the second oldest of the group.

"It's been a while since we got together like that," Ryoma said. A little bit earlier, the Hoshidan royal siblings were having a small picnic in the gardens.

"Yeah. I guess I really did need that," Hinoka agreed.

"Does this mean we can do this again some time?" Takumi asked. It had been a while since he was with his siblings like so. The last time they were together was before they lost their father and their middle sibling.

Before the older siblings could answer, they heard laughter. Looking up ahead, they saw some bubbles floating out of the infirmary room. Suspicious and mostly curious, they slowly approached the door and peeked inside. Imagine their surprise when they saw Azura happily laughing as she plays with some bubbles coming out of a blue creature's nose... as nasty as that sounded.

"Kyah! Don't blow a barrage at me!" the adopted girl cried out, laughing as the creature blew lots more at her.

Seeing Azura laughing happily made something change in Ryoma and Hinoka. Both didn't want to accept her in the family because she was a 'cold-hearted' Nohrian. But seeing her like this, laughing like a child she was, they were starting to think differently of her.

Takumi, however, didn't really think so. "What are you doing here?!"

Azura flinched in surprise at his tone. The sea lion also jumped at the unfamiliar voice. And as for Sakura, who was sleeping in Hinoka's arms, woke from the loud, angry voice and started crying.

The blue-haired girl looked behind her and saw all four royal siblings watching her from the door. "I-... Uh..."

"I asked a question! What are you doing here?! And what's with that animal?! Some secret Nohrian weapon!?" Takumi demanded and accused.

"What? No, I-"

"Don't try to lie!" With each word coming out of his mouth, Takumi didn't notice how he was scaring his baby sister.

"Takumi! Your shouting is scaring Sakura!" Hinoka called, trying not to shout as loud as her little brother was.

"But don't you think it's weird?! We finally had some sibling bonding and she brought whatever that thing is in!" Takumi asked, not lowering his voice even a little.

The sea lion had an annoyed look on its face. Not because it was called a 'thing', but because the kid in front of it was being mean to Azura and scaring the baby, whom it assumed was most likely his little sibling. Wanting to teach the royal brat a lesson, it jumped off the bed and moved towards the kid, much to everyone's confusion. Next thing they knew, it was blowing up a bubble right in front of Takumi. A big bubble at that. In fact, it was big enough to engulf the boy in.

"What the-?! Hey! Let me out!" Takumi started to bang against the bubble. Surprisingly, compared to the smaller ones Azura popped, the one he was in was sturdy enough to still be in contact. That is, until a few more bands later. Because of the fact that it had also floated into the air after capturing Takumi, the moment it popped, the boy fell on the floor and landed face-first.

Everyone, minus the sea lion and Sakura, wince at the landing.

"Um... Are you okay?" Azura asked.

Takumi got up and glared at her, causing the adopted girl to flinch and the mammal to stand protectively in front of her. Just when he was about to shout at her, a laugh was heard. Everyone in the room turned to the source and saw Sakura laughing. Seeing her laugh brought smiles to everyone's faces, especially the sea lion. Said creature blew more bubbles. One look at them, and Sakura happily reached out to them. The children all calmed down at the sight of the happy baby.

"Pop?" Azura looked down and saw the sea lion looking up at her.

She knelt down to its eye level and patted its head, muttering out "Thank you".

"Popplio!" it happily responded.

"What is that thing?" Hinoka asked, kneeling down to its level as well. "A sea lion?" Sakura reached her hands out towards it.

"I've never seen or heard of a blue sea lion before," Ryoma said, also kneeling down. "Must be a new species."

"How are we sure it's not some spy?" Takumi asked suspiciously.

"Come on, Takumi. Lighten up, will ya?" Hinoka told him. "There's no way something this cure would be a spy. Besides, Sakura likes him."

True to her words, the infant was being nuzzled by the friendly mammal, laughing happily.

"How do you know it's a he?" the youngest brother asked.

"Then how about we ask it?" As soon as Azura suggested that, she asked, "Are you a boy?"

Takumi scoffed at the idea. "Like it knows-"

"Pop!" it, or rather he, nodded, surprising the doubtful boy.

"Whoa! It's pretty smart, too!" Hinoka exclaimed in an impressed tone. Her compliment made the sea lion puffed his chest out with pride.

"Quite prideful, too," Ryoma added, making the blue creature puff his chest out even more.

Unfortunately, that made him lose his balance and fall on his back. This worried the kids, especially Azura.

"Are you okay?!" she asked, turning him back on his front.

The sea lion barked, ensuring her that he was okay.

After that, the group of six spent the rest of the day playing with each other, popping the sea lion's bubbles or riding a short distance on or in them, until the bubble popped that is. Unknown to them, as they were playing, a certain queen watched the scene with a small smile on her face.

Later that night, the Hoshidan royals all went to bed. Azura, though, stayed in the infirmary room, watching the sea lion sleep.

"I had a great time today, thanks to you," she whispered, not wanting to disturb its sleep. "They never wanted to even talk to me. Well, Sakura's still just a baby, but Ryoma, Hinoka and Takumi? Ever since I arrived here, they never approached me. I don't blame them. I came from the very place that took their sister away and killed their father. If only they knew what my life was like there; it was worse than here. I was bullied and ignored by everyone in Nohr, all because my mother was the king's second queen. My father, King Garon, never knew and never punished any of them for it. How could he? He loved them all equally, but not as much as my mom or his first queen."

As she told him of her past, unknown to her, the sea lion was only pretending to be sleeping.

"When I was taken from there, when I was adopted by Queen Mikoto, I couldn't help but feel happy, since it would mean never returning to Nohr again. But... thinking about it now, there's the missing sister of Hoshido. At first, I was only here to be used as a bargaining chip for her. But, it seems that King Garon didn't care about me, like everyone else. Thinking about my past life there, I can't help but worry about her. Right now, she's most likely taken as prisoner. I don't know what they do to prisoners, but if they treat outsiders like me and my mother horribly... I just... wish I can do something to help her." Tears started to form in her eyes, as she sadly remembered about her time in the other kingdom.

That was the last straw for him, as he got up and approached the crying girl. He wiped the tears away, to her shock.

"O-Oh! You're awake? Did I wake you?" she asked.

The sea lion shook his head no and jumped into her arms, to her surprise. He then cuddled himself close to her, comforting the small girl. Realizing what he was doing, Azura couldn't help but cry silently, hugging the creature close to her.

* * *

The next day, it was the same as any other day. Everyone in and out Castle Shirasagi were doing their daily activities, all but one.

Azura stayed in the infirmary room the whole night, sleeping with the sea lion on the bed. When morning came, she and the mammal played with each other once more. The other kids would've come and played with them as well, but they were either busy with their own daily tasks or, especially in Sakura's case, were prevented from going into the room, especially because Azura was there.

The adopted girl didn't mind. Compared to the previous times, this time, the children wanted to be around her, to hang out with her. That, and she had someone to keep her company. Even if that someone was a special animal.

But sadly, she knew this moment wouldn't last for long.

"Azura," came Mikoto's voice by the door. "It's time."

"Okay..." Azura knew this was coming. Even if this little animal was smart, friendly and special, it was still a wild animal. And as such, it didn't belong in a castle.

* * *

The girl carried the sea lion in her arms, leading Mikoto to the lake where she found it. With them were an adult around Mikoto's age and two children around Ryoma's, all three who were Mikoto's retainers.

Once they arrived at the lake, Azura set the mammal down to the ground.

"I don't know where you're from exactly, but I found you here," she told it. "I can only assume that it means wherever your home is, it's somewhere in the lake or beyond. And you should go back to it." Hearing that shocked the sea lion as it looked back at the girl. "Go home. Where you belong and be happy."

The creature didn't at all like the idea, for he moved closer to her and nuzzled against her.

"No." She lightly pushed him away. "Not me. You're home is somewhere away from here. Now go."

But again, the mammal moved closer to her.

"Don't make this harder than it should be." Azura tried to hold back tears as she pushed him away. "G-Go away. Leave this place."

Rather than leaving, the sea lion went and hugged the blue-haired child, not at all wanting to leave her.

"No. You... You have to..." Azura's voice trailed off, for she now knew that the mammal doesn't ever want to part with her, just like how she doesn't want to part with him. Wrapping her arms around him, she then said, "I... I don't want you to leave either... You're my first friend. You comforted me when I needed it, and you helped me get along with the other kids. I don't want you to go..."

Watching this was bringing tears to Mikoto and her retainers, with one of the two child looking away to hide her tears.

Turning to the queen, Azura asked, "Queen Mikoto, is there anyway we can keep him?"

As much as they want to scold Azura for asking such a favor, the retainers knew how kind their queen was and looked up at her.

Instead of a negative reply as Azura had assumed, Mikoto said, "I was waiting for you to ask that." This brought confusion to the group. "I knew from the moment it recovered that you wanted it here with us. But, even though I knew that, I wanted to hear you ask for it to stay."

A smile was slowly forming on Azura's face. "So then...?"

A kinder smile formed on Mikoto's. "He can stay. But he's your responsibility."

Just hearing that the sea lion can stay was enough to make Azura happy. "All right! Isn't that great, Blue?"

The sea lion, now named Blue, was just as happy as the child at the news as he nuzzled her cheek. "Poppo!"

Seeing the child so happy brought smiles on the retainers' faces as well.

"Blue?" one of the two child asked. "Well, I suppose there are worse names for it."

"Don't be rude," the other child said. "Shall I go prepare a bed at least for the sea lion, Queen Mikoto?"

"Please do so, Kagero. And have it placed in Azura's room," the queen answered.


	4. Special: The Princess and the Dog

**Many of you may be wondering why I updated this story again after saying more than once that I will continue after I finish with Awakening. For one thing, like the previous chapter, this is a special. For another... let's just say one look at a review from a... sort of a regular fan about the update of this story, and I decided, why not? Let's get this special chapter up as well. And yes, that means this is also something that I was working on like Azura and Blue. And like them, this takes place some time in the past, before the whole story begins. How long? I'd say... 7 years before the story. Now then, enjoy the special.**

* * *

It was a dark day in the kingdom of Nohr, as it always was. Unlike the bright, sunny kingdom of Hoshido, where conflict was the last thing on people's mind, Nohr was the exact opposite. Thieving and robberies were common, people starved from lack of food and water, many tried to get jobs, but it wasn't enough. The royal family wasn't having it wasy either. As if it was bad enough the king had to attend to his people's problems, his many concubines constantly fought for his attention, especially after the death of his first queen. They even went as far as to get their children involved unwillingly. It was so bad, they killed each other just to be the next queen, and the children, all who wanted nothing to do with their conflict, were being killed off, one by one. All the children wanted was to get along with their half-brothers and half-sisters. But alas, as kids, they had no place to say their own opinions.

However, not all of them were involved in such conflict. In one fortress, located in the northeast of the Nohrian capital of Windmire, a young girl slept in her vacant room. The door to her room opened, revealing a pair of identical maids her age walking in.

"Lady Corrin. It's time to wake up," said the maid with blue pigtails.

"Five more minutes, Flora..." the sleeping girl, Corrin, requested.

"But now's the time to wake up!" exclaimed the maid in a pink ponytail. "Don't you want to see your siblings?"

That question seemed to have done the trick, as the princess shot out of bed. "Wait, they're here, Felicia?!"

"Well, not yet, but-" Before Flora can finish her sentence, the princess already rushed to the bathroom to get herself cleaned up. Seeing this, the two maids couldn't help but giggle.

A knock was heard at the door. "Is Lady Corrin awake?" came a boy's voice. The maids looked and saw a butler their age outside the room.

"Yes, Jakob. She's in the bathroom," Felicia answered.

Her response, for some reason, brought a frown on the butler's face, to their confusion.

"Is something wrong, Jakob?" Flora asked.

"Well... A letter arrived earlier today," he began. "It's about Lady Corrin's siblings." Both maids became concerned when they heard that.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, after getting herself washed up, Corrin put on a light purple dress with white flower designs, given to her by Camilla the last time she visited. As she was checking herself to make sure nothing was out of place, a knock was heard on the door.

"Yes?" she called.

"Um... Lady Corrin. About your siblings..." came Flora's voice.

"What's wrong, Flora?"

"Well, something came up at the castle so... Unfortunately, they can't come today. Or any time this week."

Those words brought a frown on Corrin's face. Ever since she lost her memories of her childhood, she was kept in the Northern Fortress under her father, King Garon's orders, to be safe, and was to never leave until his say. To prevent her from being so lonely, besides 'hiring' some servants to keep her company, Corrin's siblings did their best to schedule visits, spend some time with her, teach her some things of the world. They never broke their promise to visit. For them to not come, especially on this week, of all weeks, broke her heart.

"Oh..." was all she could let out.

Outside the bathroom, the three child servants noticed the tone their princess used and were even more saddened.

"Is there... anything we can do for you?" Jakob asked.

"Leave me..."

Reluctantly, they did as told and left the room.

"Of all times for them to have business," Felicia said.

"It can't be helped, Felicia," her sister said. "They have their duties at the castle."

"But still..."

"We know how you feel," Jakob told her. "After all, Lady Corrin's birthday is in a few days. A few days... that they couldn't come to."

Back in her bedroom, Corrin lied on her bed. To say she was saddened would be an understatement. She was always looking forward to her siblings' visits, especially on holidays. For them to suddenly have plans on her birthday, though, really upset her.

Corrin looked over to an open window, watching the still-night sky of Nohr. With how the sky was, it was hard to tell the time of day it was in the kingdom. Just then, shooting stars shot by.

Corrin, who read many books in the fortress, shot up at the sight. Knowing what shooting stars can do for her, she quickly clasped her hands together and made a wish. ' _I wish I have a friend,_ ' she thought. Sure, the servants often kept her company, but that was if they weren't busy with chores, which was almost always. If there was one thing Corrin wanted more than anything, it was a friend to talk to, to play with, to be with.

And it seemed her wish was going to come true, for as the princess looked back up at the sky, she saw something falling straight to her. Frightened, she quickly jumped out of bed and rushed out of its path. The object fell into her room... and froze in mid-air.

Hiding behind a cabinet, upon hearing nothing but silence, Corrin slowly crept out of her hiding place.

There, floating in the middle of her chambers, was an egg, and a big one at that; almost half her size.

Corrin walked towards it, wondering what sort of egg it was. When she reached out to hold it, the egg fell in her arms and, to her surprise, it was quite warm.

' _Is it... alive?_ ' she wondered. Upon realizing she had no idea how to take care of an egg, she called for some experts.

"Jakob! Flora! Felicia! I need you guys!" she called.

Almost instantly, her three servants/friends barged into the room.

"Is there a problem, Lady Corrin?!" Felicia asked.

"Are you in trouble?!" Jakob followed.

Flora, the most level-headed of the trio, noticed the egg in their princess's arms. "Is than an egg you're holding?" At her question, the other two child servants also took notice of the egg.

"Lady Corrin! Where did you get that egg?!" the ponytailed maid asked. She then gasped and assumed, "Don't tell me... You snuck out and took it from a nest?!"

Flora and Jakob looked at her in disbelief.

"Felicia! Lady Corrin would never do that!" the butler said, hitting her on the head.

"I don't approve the hit, but he's right, Felicia," Flora said in agreement.

"At the very least, she would let me join!"

"Wait- That's what you care about?!"

Before things got a bit more nectic, Corrin intervened on their conversation. "Guys! Please stop!" The three were silenced. "I didn't sneak out; this egg just appeared in my room."

They looked at her in confusion.

"It just appeared?" Felicia questioned.

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. I made a wish on a shooting star and it appeared. And I need help taking care of it."

"I don't think making a wish can result in an egg suddenly appearing, Lady Corrin," Flora said.

"But that's what happened."

"If milady says it's true, then I believe you," Jakob said. "But what does it have to do with us?"

"Well... I was hoping you guys know and can help me take care of it." At the request, of course, the three were more than happy to help out.

"I'll get the books on how to take care of it!" Felicia volunteered, already rushing out of the room to the library.

"I'll go with her and make sure she gets the right books," Flora said, following her twin out.

"I know a thing or two in taking care of eggs. Not the cooking kind, that is," Jakob informed. "First, we have to get it warm and comfy."

Corrin nodded at his words and placed the egg comfortably on her bed, wrapping her blanket around it. "I wonder what kind of egg it is."

"Obviously not from a bird," her butler said. "Though it doesn't look like a wyvern egg..."

"Do you think it's a new species?"

"Maybe. We'll have to wait for the twins to return with those books. Hopefully, we have an encyclopedia for eggs."

Minutes later, the twin maids returned, arms filled with books.

"We're back!" Felicia announced.

"That's great! Set the books here!" Corrin told them, gesturing to her desk.

Once the books were placed, the four kids went through each one, reading and memorizing as much as they could about caring for eggs, birds and dragons. One small problem...

"Felicia! Why did you also bring cookbooks and puppy-care books?!" Jakob scolded.

"Ah! I didn't know! I just looked at the cover and looked for anything that included taking care of an animal and grabbed them!" she reasoned.

' _A good thing I went with her,_ ' Flora thought.

"But then again, we don't know what sort of egg it is. Maybe a puppy will hatch from it," Corrin said, bringing up Felicia's confidence.

"Milady, you're too forgiving," Jakob said, shedding some tears.

Flora couldn't help but sweatdrop at the scene. As Jakob said, the princess can be too forgiving at times, and the butler in question was too loyal to her. Same could be said to her sister, who was also quite clumsy a maid. The blue-haired maid looked to the egg on her mistress's bed, wondering if it'll be okay with them taking care of it, when it suddenly shook. At first, she thought her eyes were playing tricks and rubbed them. Seconds later, it moved again.

"Um... guys?" she called, getting their attention. "The egg... It moved."

Excited, the three turned to the object in question. After several seconds of nothing, it shook, to their shock.

"Oh my! It did!" Felicia exclaimed in an excited tone.

"That could mean it's close to hatching!" Jakob informed.

Next thing they knew, the egg was glowing.

"Guys... Are eggs suppose to glow like that?" Corrin asked.

Before her question can be answered, the egg jumped off her bed, much to their increasing shock and horror. Corrin thought fast and managed to catch it in her arms. The servants all sighed in relief.

"Lady Corrin, amazing catch!" Felicia complimented.

"But the egg is still glowing!" Flora warned.

True to her words, the egg didn't lose its glow. If anything, it got brighter. Cracks then formed on the egg and, next thing they knew, the shell broke off and faded away. Now resting in Corrin's arms... was a brown puppy. Both the princess and Felicia cooed at the cute, little, sleeping animal, while Jakob and Flora were shocked beyond belief.

"Aww~! It's so cute~!" the ponytailed maid squealed, not loud enough to wake the pup.

"It's a puppy~!" the princess followed, gently putting the sleeping animal on her bed.

The remaining two servants in the room looked at each other, neither one believing that a puppy hatched from the egg.

Meanwhile, the said mammal slowly woke from its slumber, opening its blue eyes.

"It's waking up! Lady Corrin, it's waking up!" Felicia excitedly announced.

The princess nodded, at lost for words as she was making eye contact with the puppy. "Hi there," she greeted. "My name is Corrin! This is Felicia! And those two are Jakob and Flora!"

The moment they heard her introduce them to the pup, both Jakob and Flora snapped themselves out of their stupor.

"It's nice to meet you!" Felicia greeted.

"Hello there," Jakob followed.

"Welcome to the world," Flora followed after.

Upon being greeted by so many people, the puppy made some happy barks, jumped into Corrin's arms and nuzzled her... painfully.

"Ow ow ow! Hey, I'm happy to meet you too!" the princess told it.

At the 'ow's, instantly, the servants got protective of their mistress.

"Hey! Stop that!" Flora shouted. As soon as she got within arm distance, the pup jumped into her arms and gave her some painful nuzzles as well. "Ow!"

"You little beast! Stop at once!" Jakob demanded, only to be the next in line. After him, the puppy jumped in Felicia's arms and did the same, in which the ponytailed maid didn't seem to mind as much as the other two. After giving her nuzzles, the pup went back to Corrin's arms.

The princess, whom had watched the little guy deliver its cuddles, saw that, despite the pain, the cuddles were all friendly. This made her giggle a little. "He's really friendly," she said, nuzzling the pup herself.

"Riff ruff!" it barked happily, nuzzling her back.

Not wanting the dog to scar the princess somehow with those cuddles, Jakob snatched the dog out of her arms. "Hey, you little mutt! Stop that or you'll be scarring Lady Corrin's neck! Or worse her face!"

The happy, panting pup didn't seem to understand that it was being scolded and licked his face, catching him by surprise and making him tumble down. The pup landed on its feet and started looking around the room, taking in its surroundings.

"Looks like I was right to bring a book on puppies, after all," Felicia said, picking out a book on dogs. "I wonder what kind of dog it is."

"Yes, so it seems," Flora admitted, still wondering how a puppy can hatch from an egg. "And it seems to be a quick learner too. Usually, newborn pups take months to walk or have as much energy as this one."

The dog went under Corrin's bed, to the princess's shock, and took out a stuffed teddy bear from it.

The princess's eyes widened at the sight of the toy in its mouth. "Hey! That's Mr. Pookie!" she shouted, taking the doll from the pup.

The dog sensed that it had done something wrong when she yelled at it and lied down, lips trembling, whimpering, and eyes watering.

Instantly feeling bad for yelling at it like that, Corrin apologized, "Oh, I'm sorry. I know you didn't mean any harm." The damage seemed to have already been done, as the puppy started crying. The princess panicked at this and tried to figure out a way to calm it down. By some miracle, she seemed to have remembered something of her past and gently placed a hand on the dog's head, petting it and calming it down. "There, there. It's okay. Good doggy." At those words, the pup became happy and wagged its tail, enjoying the petting.

The servants all looked at the scene in slight confusion. Earlier when Jakob scolded it for possibly scarring their princess, the pup just ignored it. Yet when their princess shouted at it, it acted like a young child being scolded by their mother. Then when she tried to cheer it up, it was acting like a child being comforted and spoiled by their mother. Adding it all up, they came up with only one conclusion. Well, two of the three did.

"That puppy sees our princess as its mother," Flora said.

Felicia, the only one who didn't catch on, was shocked at her sister's deduction. "Huh? Really?!"

"That little mutt... Taking advantage of our princess's kindness like that..." Jakob growled.

Speaking of growls, one was heard, and the servants looked to the blushing Corrin, realizing that the princess hadn't had breakfast yet. Looking at the time, Flora saw it was almost time for lunch.

"How about some lunch?"

* * *

For the rest of the day, the kids were playing with the puppy, getting to know him as he to them. And yes, the pup was a male. After some time of playing, the kids realized they hadn't given him a name. And since Corrin was the one who found him as an egg and the first person to have made contact with the dog, she had the honors of naming him 'Rocky'. Why? Well, when he was barking, she couldn't help but notice the word 'rock' at times when he did.

Once they gave it a name and played a little longer, Jakob and Flora looked up to see what kind of dog it was. After some time of reading and searching, though, they couldn't find out his species, thus making Rocky a mystery.

When it was time to sleep, Jakob and the twins were about to arrange a small bed, or at least a makeshift bed, for Rocky, when the pup in question jumped on Corrin's bed, getting ready to sleep with his 'mommy'. The princess was okay with it, thus having her friends make their leave and sleep for the night.

"I had a lot of fun today," she told Rocky, who was lying on top of her blankets. The pup happily barked in response, earning a pat on the head. "I still can't believe my wish came true. I wished for a friend, and you came. Though I do wonder, how are you hatched from an egg? I thought only birds and reptiles hatch from them." Rocky tilted his head cutely at the question. "Well, I'm sure we'll find out some day. For now, let's sleep."

"Ruff!" Rocky nodded in agreement and laid his head down on top of the princess.

"Good night."

* * *

For the past few days, things had been enjoyable for Corrin. While her servants were busy with chores, she would play with Rocky. When she would be busy with her studies and training, she often told the pup to never come out of her room, in fear that her instructors and other servants would report this to her father and take him away. But one day, during her training with Gunter, her combat instructor, Rocky somehow found his way to the training ground and, mistaking it as a stranger attacking the princess, may have bit Gunter on his arm, ceasing the training and causing the princess to panic. After some convincing, which mainly consisted of Corrin and Rocky using the puppy-dog eyes on the instructor, the guy agreed to keep the dog a secret. At least, until her siblings knew about Rocky. The princess was satisfied with that promise and they resumed the training, with Rocky, after a bit more time of convincing, watching them from afar.

It was the day of Corrin's birthday. For the most part, things were pretty good on that day. Her friends bid her a good morning and they had breakfast and lunch together, with Rocky joining them, of course. Gifts were given to the princess, even though she said that it wasn't necessary, that them being with her was more than enough. That was when the unexpected happened.

"Stop! That hurts!" Corrin said to her nuzzling Rocky. The group was playing fetch with the pup. While Rocky would just normally give the ball back to them after getting the ball, when it was Corrin, he would add in lots of snuggles and cuddles. As much as Corrin didn't mind so much, with the rocks on his neck, it does hurt.

"Rocky really does love Lady Corrin, doesn't he?" Gunter noticed.

"Well, of course! She's Lady Corrin after all!" Felicia said. "She's the kindest princess Nohr knows!"

"So you say, but it's a little more than just that," Flora said.

Jakob, on the other hand, was looking on with shaking fists. "I told that dog many times to not do that, though. What would he do if he scars up her face?!"

Before anyone can say anything about him being paranoid, a door to the training grounds was slammed open.

"Corrin! Are you hurt?!" came a female voice.

"Who dares hurt my sister?!" came a male voice.

The group looked and were shocked to see Corrin's siblings barge in, the princess even more shocked than they were. "Xander? Camilla? Leo, too?"

As much as they were happy to see their little sister, Xander and Camilla's main concern was on the dog that was on top of her. Rocky, excited to see new people, got off Corrin and ran over to them to greet them.

"Corrin, who is this?" Xander asked, not taking his eyes off the dog.

"He's my new friend, Rocky!" Corrin introduced.

"Rockruff!" Rocky barked in a greeting. Leo was slightly frightened by the bark and hid behind his brother, while Camilla was more focused on how adorable the pup looked and petted him.

"My. Isn't he adorable~?" she cooed.

"He's my puppy! Don't take him away from me!" Corrin said, aware of Camilla's love with cute things.

"Regardless, he's not allowed here anyway," Xander said, getting everyone's attention.

"Xander?"

"Corrin, you know you're not allowed to leave this fortress. And yet, you disobeyed father's order. Not only that, but you brought home a stray? If father catches wind of this-" He stopped himself when he realized something. "Now that I think about it, Gunter, how could you have let this happen?"

"Lord Xander, I believe you're mistaking things here," the instructor tried to reason.

"Mistake or not, it does not change the fact that you've neglected your duties!" Xander said. "I thought you of all people would prevent this from happening, but I see I just can't put my guard down at all here."

"Xander, don't you think you're overreacting a little?" Camilla asked in a worried tone.

"I am reacting as any older brother would do in this situation." Turning to Corrin, he said, "Corrin. As much as it pains me to say this, you cannot keep that dog here." He reached out for Rocky, when Corrin grabbed the pup in her arms.

"No!" she cried out. "You can't take away him away!"

"Corrin, I'm doing this for your own good."

"NO!" Next thing everyone knew, the girl rushed out the training ground.

"Corrin, wait!" Camilla called, as the group ran after her.

* * *

Because guards weren't on duty, Corrin was able to rush out the fortress without any struggle at all. As she ran, Rocky looked up at her with a worried expression. He may have been born days ago, but that didn't mean he was stupid as a normal pup would be. Then again, there wasn't anything normal about him in the first place. Other than that, he knew that Corrin's older brother didn't approve him being there. What he didn't understand was why. Corrin was practically his mother, and she taught him as much as she was being taught by her instructors. He knew better than to cause trouble. So why? Why was Rocky not allowed to stay?

It felt like forever, but Corrin eventually hid in some woods, Rocky still in her arms as she panted heavily to catch her breath. When she was calmed, Rocky looked up at her and let out a worried whine. The princess looked down at him at the sound and started to let out tears.

"It's not fair..." she spoke. "Why can't I at least have you...? I had a friend some time ago, but then I was suddenly not allowed to see him. Jakob, Felicia and Flora are always busy with their jobs, and Gunter rarely has time to play with me... No other servants wanted to play. I just want a friend..."

Rocky let out another whine and licked her tears away. But that only made her cry even more, knowing that as soon as she returned, Xander will take Rocky away, no matter what. She didn't want that to happen, she didn't want to lose her only friend.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" came a voice. Corrin looked up and saw a pair of guys in rags standing in front of her, one looking muscular with scars on his body, equipped with an axe, and the other scrawny looking with a bow and a quiver full of arrows on his back.

"Boss M, look at the kid. Looks rich, doesn't she?" the archer asked.

"Yeah. Kind of does, doesn't she," the muscular guy, M as the archer called him, said. "Looks like today's our lucky day, Bane. Tonight, we're making a ransom out of this kid."

Though she didn't know what 'ransom' meant, she knew these guys were bad news. Corrin got up and tried to run, when she was grabbed by the back of her shirt by the M. The princess let out a small scream and dropped Rocky, as she was being picked up and was meeting her capturer at eye level.

"Okay, kid. Cooperate with us, and we won't kill you," he said.

This made Corrin even more scared, silently pleading for anyone to rescue her, especially her older siblings.

Whatever god up there seemed to have answered her call once again, as Rocky instantly went and bit the arm holding the princess, hard, forcing the kidnapper to release her.

"OW! Mangy mutt!" he shouted, trying to get Rocky off him. However, every time he pulled, Rocky bit harder, snarling and drawing out some blood.

"Rocky!" Corrin cried out in worry.

"Come here, girl!" Bane said, trying to get Corrin from behind.

Rocky noticed this and, using the M's face as a stepping stone, kicked himself towards the archer, headbutting him hard. Landing on all fours, he growled at the pair of strangers, protecting Corrin from them.

"That stupid dog drew out some blood!" the leader said.

"That damn mutt! I'll kill it!" Bane took out his bow and an arrow.

Corrin knew Rocky was in danger and placed herself in front of him. "Don't!"

It was too late, as Bane shot his arrow. But instead of hitting the princess, Rocky rushed around her and, with flames coming out of his mouth, crushed the arrow before it hit her, burning it to ashes.

The humans present were shocked with what had just occurred. Since when can a puppy emit flames from its mouth?!

"Boss M... I think we hit a bigger jackpot," Bane told his ally.

"That we did. Not only do we have a rich kid in front of us, but a very special dog, too," the bandit said, a smirk forming on his face. "That mutt is definitely going to be sold for thousands. Even tens of thousands with that sort of specialty!"

Not wanting Rocky to be taken for such a reason, Corrin ran to the pup's side and told him, "Rocky, we have to run!" Instead of being obedient, like she thought he would, Rocky stood his ground and kept growling at the two strangers before them. The princess had never seen Rocky like this before. It was kind of scaring her. "Rocky?"

"Looks like we know where it's weak, Bane. Do it!" M ordered.

"Aye-aye!" The archer fired another arrow at Corrin.

As expected, Rocky's mouth emitted more flames as he caught the arrow and crushed it. The pup then rushed at the bandits at full speed. Upon seeing that the archer still had an arrow pointed at Corrin, he got in his range of fire and got hit by the arrow in her place.

Corrin widened her eyes when she saw Rocky take the arrow meant for her. "Rocky!"

"Heh. That'll teach that mutt who's boss," Bane said. To the princess, he then said, "Now girlie, if you don't want an arrow in you, you better do what we say."

What happened next was the least expected thing anyone could have thought of. Rocky, who clearly took a direct hit from the arrow, got back up and bit the archer's hands, as well as burning them.

"AAAAAAAAAAH!" Bane cried out in pain, dropping his weapons in the process.

Both his leader and Corrin wouldn't believe what they saw, as Rocky landed on the ground behind the bandits, growling at M as Bane held his blistering hands in pain. He then started barking at the man, as if attempting to scare him off.

"You think all that barking is going to scare me?!" M challenged, running to the pup with his axe in hand. As he swung his weapon down, Rocky managed to avoid it and continued his barking.

What M didn't notice was that the dog wasn't looking at him while he was barking, but at Corrin, in which the princess herself noticed, realizing that Rocky was telling her to leave, sacrificing himself for her safety. Corrin didn't want that; she wanted to help her friend. But due to the fact that she had no weapons nor have much experience in actual combat, she couldn't be much help to Rocky. She wanted to help, but she can't. Hesitantly, she ran, away from Rocky and the bandits.

Bane took notice of the escaping girl and tried to go after her. Of course, Rocky saw this attempt and grabbed his quiver, holding his ground and holding back the archer of a bandit. When he sensed M coming at him again with his axe, he moved away, having the big guy cut and destroy the quiver and the arrows in it.

* * *

With Corrin, she continued to run as fast as she could, away from the conflict behind her to get to someone, anyone who can help her. Help Rocky. The princess kept looking behind her, hoping neither of the two guys were catching up to her. As she ran, she felt herself slam into something.

"Corrin!" came a familiar voice. Looking up, Corrin saw it was Camilla, with Xander and Gunter behind her. "You know how dangerous it is for you to be out here."

"Camilla! You have to help!" the girl cried out. "It's Rocky!"

"Corrin. In the world of dogs, they struggle for survival more than us humans. We can't interfere with a dog life," Xander told her.

"He's not fighting other dogs! He saved me from these mean people!" Corrin shouted.

"Don't make up stories, Corrin."

"I'm not! You have to help him or they'll sell him!"

Still assuming her to be exaggerating, Xander continued to say, "Corrin, I'm sure whoever these people are will be giving that dog a better home."

"WHY AREN'T YOU LISTENING TO ME?!" No longer trying to reason, Corrin grabbed the sword hanging from Xander's hip and rushed back to where the fight was. However, due to its weight, Corrin wasn't running as fast as she had before.

"Corrin, stop. Drop the sword," Camilla told her, not wanting her little sister to get hurt.

"But we have to help Rocky!"

"Corrin! That's enough!" Xander shouted. "I'm saying this for your sake-"

"No you're not," Gunter interrupted, to the older siblings' shock.

"Gunter?"

"With all due respect, Lord Xander, I do understand your intention in preventing Corrin from keeping the dog, but Rocky has already became a part of her life. Besides, if she really was exaggerating about the situation, would she have gone as far as to take your sword to battle, when she has no experience with a real weapon? Clearly, something is definitely wrong. Instead of arguing about it, I think it best if we go along with what she said for now."

As much as he wanted to argue about how pointless it would be to search for a dog that, undoubtedly, is being beaten by other hounds, Xander knew Gunter was right. Besides, if he didn't go, he'd be ruining Corrin's birthday and would be hated by her for the rest of his life.

"Perhaps you have a point," he said at last. "Very well. Take us to him."

Happy that help was going to come, Corrin rushed back to where the battle was. "This way!"

* * *

With Rocky, somehow the bandits got the upper hand on the pup when Bane tossed a handful of dirt in his eyes, thus giving M the opportunity to land a heavy hit on the canine. The hit was hard enough to knock him into a tree. While this would usually knock out newborn pups, maybe even kill them, Rocky wasn't like those ordinary pups. But that didn't mean the force meant nothing to him, as he felt the air get knocked out of him from the hit.

"Troublesome dog," Bane grumbled. "Let the kid get away too."

"Don't worry about it, Bane. Just this fighter of a pup alone will make us more than enough," M assured, picking up Rocky by the scruff of his neck.

"Rocky!" The two then looked and saw the child come back with reinforcements.

Now seeing that Corrin spoke the truth, Xander and Gunter took out their weapons. "Unhand that pup!" the prince demanded.

M clicked his tongue at his luck. "You gotta be kidding me!"

"Do as he say or face your deaths!" Gunter threatened.

"Take the pup to our hideout. I'll make quick works with these guys," M told Bane, tossing Rocky to the guy. Instantly, the archer ran with the dog in his arms.

"Rocky!" Corrin tried to run after the two, but was held back by Camilla.

"Don't! Or you'll get hurt!" the older sister told her.

"But..."

"Leave this to your big sister." Before she or any of the boys knew it, Camilla darted off towards the archer. She managed to take rocky from him, grabbed the guy by the head, and slammed him face down on the ground. "Stay still, if you wish to live~" she said. "No one makes my sister cry without consequences."

Seeing this frightened those watching, especially M. While the royal children and Gunter were aware of how far Camilla would go for her family, Xander and Gunter even more so aware of the lengths she would go, the muscular bandit stood there, jaw dropped at the sight of a girl having such brute strength to OTK his underling.

"Are you sure you don't want to yield?" Xander questioned him.

Frightened, the man gave up.

* * *

After that event and the two bandits were sent to jail, Gunter and the siblings brought Rocky back to the Northern Fortress to be healed. Flora inspected the pup's injuries and was shocked at the damages he took from fighting two armed men while managing to protect and help Corrin escape. Xander and Camilla were both surprised at the length the pup would go for their younger sister, especially after hearing from Jakob, Felicia and Flora about how he came to Corrin's life. At first, it was unbelievable, but thinking back to when the bandits kept saying about how special Rocky was, especially to be able to produce flames from his mouth, it made them think and wonder about the canine.

"I still don't think Corrin can keep that dog," Xander said. The two were in Xander and Leo's guest room, talking about the pup. The youngest of the two was already in bed, asleep.

"And why do you think that?" Camilla asked. "From what I can see, she took care of him just fine. Besides, I heard that a baby deems the first living thing it sees as its mother. If you take Rocky away from Corrin, I'm sure she's not the only one who'll be sad about it."

"You're just saying that because you think it's cute, aren't you?"

Camilla giggled a bit, making no attempts to deny the claim. "Maybe I am. But, then again, for something so cute, he sure is brave. He did help prevent Corrin from being captured by those two guys from earlier after all."

Now Xander couldn't deny that fact. If it were any other puppies, they'd run at the first sight of danger. But this one, Rocky? He sacrificed himself for Corrin. And of what they heard from the servants, he was a really smart puppy. Surely, he must've known of his true worth before deciding to lay down his own life for their sister. And yet, Rocky didn't hesitate to fight them and protect his owner/friend.

"Well, we have plenty of time before we go back," Camilla said. "I'm sure you'll make the right choice before we leave." With that she left, leaving her older brother to think in peace.

* * *

Days passed. With Corrin worrying about Rocky, there wasn't a good time for any of Corrin's siblings to give her her presents. Not only that, the princess herself kept herself shut in the infirmary room, watching over Rocky. The only time she left was to use the bathroom or to have some light meals. With her worries about Rocky, she didn't have enough appetite to eat well.

This night/morning was the same as past few days. Corrin fell asleep watching over her puppy friend. As she slept, she dreamt of her and Rocky playing in her room, until bad men came and took Rocky away from her. This caused her to cry in her dream and shed tears in reality.

"Rocky..." she spoke in her sleep.

Unknown to her, Camilla watched from outside the room, the door slightly opened as she watched her little sister have another bad dream about the puppy. Just as she was about to walk in and wake her, the animal in question started to wake up himself. Upon seeing Corrin asleep on the bedside, and crying, Rocky nudged her face with a slight whimper and licked her tears away.

Upon feeling the nudge and the lick, the young princess woke from her dream. One sight of her awake and healthy Rocky and a huge smile was brought to her face. "Rocky!"

The pup wagged his tail at his owner's happiness. "Ruff ruff!"

Corrin pulled him in a hug. "Oh, I'm so happy!"

"Ro ruff!" Rocky nuzzled against Corrin's neck. Painful as it was, Corrin didn't care; it meant Rocky was happy and healthy, and that was all that mattered to her.

Camilla was glad to see her sister finally smile. And all because of the puppy in her arms. Truth be told, if she were to decide whether or not Corrin can keep him, she would instantly allow it. Rocky was cute, and he would keep Corrin company when she and the other siblings weren't there. Plus, as they saw and heard, he can protect Corrin from any trouble that may enter the fortress.

"She looks so happy," whispered a voice behind her.

Camilla didn't need to turn to know who it was. "She does indeed, Xander. Have you made your decision?"

He gave no answer. Instead, he lightly pushed her aside and entered the room.

At the sound of the door opening, both Corrin and Rocky looked and saw Xander enter. One look at him, and the smile on the princess's face was replaced with a frown. Sensing this and knowing who the source of that frown was, Rocky leapt out of Corrin's arms and took up a battle position, ready to fight for his stay here if need be.

"Rocky, don't!" the princess called out, picking him up in her arms. She knew how strong her brother was. She sparred with him some times, and watched him spar from afar, and she knew that Rocky was going to get himself killed if he fights him.

The pup looked at her in confusion, wondering why she was letting this guy off the hook. Sure he seemed stronger than the last two guys, but he can take him. ... Can he?

Xander approached the two. "Corrin, as happy as I am for you, you know that this still doesn't change much," he began. And already, Corrin didn't like where this was going, as she hugged Rocky close to her. "I heard the whole story from your servants. Even now I still have trouble believing some of the things they said. Mainly about how that dog hatched from an egg. But, after taking the time to think about it, after looking back to how this little guy saved you, I think father will agree with me when I say that this pup deserves a place in this family."

Hearing those words made the two young ones look up at him.

"I may need to twist the story a little to ensure his stay, and you will most likely be punished for not informing him earlier about this, but I'm sure his heroic is more than enough to convince father." Xander petted Rocky's head as he said that.

A smile slowly formed on Corrin's face. "So... Rocky can stay?"

"It'll take some time of convincing," Xander said.

That was more than enough for Corrin and Rocky to hear, as both jumped at Xander and either gave him a big hug or some very painful nuzzles.

"OW! Hey! That hurts! How can your nuzzles hurt?!" the blonde man questioned. "Okay, I get you're happy!"

While this goes on, Camilla just watched with a soft smile on her face, happy for both her sister and their new puppy.


	5. Arriving in the Capital

**Hello to another update of Pokemon Emblem: A Trainer's Fate! Now, if anyone is wondering why I'm updating this again after saying many times that I will continue to update after Awaken the Ninja, unless if it is another side story, well, the truth is... I've a writer's block for the Awakening story X(. I'M SORRY! It happens! I had what I wanted, I had the timeline written out, but I lost it! At this rate, I may need to end the two-year arc idea and just head on to the fight against Walhart arc! Unless if you readers can help me and share some ideas, that is. I will gladly accept any and all ideas for the two-year arc in that story, so long as it can bring close together the pairings I want! Of course, I can also hear out some ideas on the pairings.**

 **Ahem. So anyway, let's start this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Fire Emblem of any kind for either of them. I do, however, own my OC.**

* * *

A week passed since Riana arrived in the kingdom of Hoshido, away from her home world. During that one week, Riana and Lycanroc had been helping out with all the farm work around the village. Though the villagers insisted they shouldn't have, the two of them still helped out anyway. In return, the villagers helped Riana out with whatever form of combat they knew, as per her request. Mozu spent the most amount of time with them especially, since they live under the same roof while the champion was staying in the village.

Other than farm work, Riana and Lycanroc also helped out with hunts, so long as it weren't the Pokemon being hunted. If they ever come across a Pokemon, Lycanroc would take care of it, either reasoning with them or battling them, depends on what Pokemon they meet and the mood of the Pokemon. If the Pokemon was injured and in need of help, they would bring the Pokemon back to the village and Riana would bring it back to health. If they were heavily outnumbered, Riana would call out another Pokemon as back up. But it wasn't one of her other five Pokemon.

When she arrived in Mozu's village, she still had her Ride Pokemon device with her, hence allowing her to call Charizard out and provide whatever back up he could. Since the Flame Pokemon wasn't much of a fighter, providing back up was the best he could do. And as much as Riana would change the Ride Pokemon, the Pokeball was working, but for some reason, the device itself wasn't. It may be because she was in a whole different world, so she couldn't swap out Ride Pokemon even if she wanted to.

When the villagers saw Charizard, they immediately assumed it to be a dragon. Now, though it looked like a dragon, Riana explained that Charizard wasn't really a dragon, so to say. But no matter how much she explained it, eventually, both the trainer and the Pokemon just let the matter be and have Charizard be called a dragon while they were in this new world.

Now, that was what was happening in day. At night, while everyone was asleep, unknown to many of these sleeping individuals, Riana would walk out to an open field. Once she got to her destination, she would spend an hour or two doing the one thing she had been trying to do for so long; reconcile with the rest of her team. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself to enlarge the balls. Lycanroc would pop out of his Pokeball as soon as he sensed his trainer's depression and comfort her as best as he could.

Unknown to them both, Mozu had followed them each night. Hey, I said 'many', not 'all of them'. The villager girl couldn't help but feel like something was off when she saw how sad Riana seemed whenever someone stated about how strong she was, how she was reliable in many ways, and how the trainer was currently seemingly struggling to do something with the Pokeballs. In the end, after the long struggle, Riana would slumped down to her knees and silently shed tears. It was then Mozu realized, all those time of being called strong and reliable, Riana didn't see herself as such. All those times of the other kids wanting to see her other Pokemon to play with, the times when Mozu would suggest to Riana to call the rest of her team out to assist the work and chores faster, it was all hurting her. And yet, she put up a strong front in front of them, finding ways to slip out of the conversation or loopholes to the situation she was in.

As much as Mozu wanted to help her, she didn't know how she could. She wasn't a Pokemon expert, and if she talked to Riana about her problem, there was a huge possibility of the trainer finding a way to end the conversation without getting anything through, as she always had. So instead, she just secretly watched, silently cheering and hoping Riana would conquer the fear she had. She may not know why Riana wouldn't call the rest of the team, but she figured it was due to whatever traumatizing event that occurred the last time she called them out.

Mozu knew what that was like; she lost her father at a young age when the village was attacked by bandits. He and several others went did their best to stop them and by the time the royal family arrived to settle the business, it was already too late for her dad. For a while, Mozu didn't pick up any weapon or did any farm work, for it would remind her of her father and his death. But eventually, she overcame that traumatizing event and hoped the same would happen to Riana.

Day eight since Riana arrived in this new world and she still hadn't made any progress with her team, but that didn't stop her from helping the villagers out with the farm work. As much as she was in awe by this action, Mozu couldn't help but feel that Riana should take a break from these daily activities and try to reconcile with her other Pokemon with whatever they were having problems with. And that... was exactly what she should suggest her do.

"Riana," Mozu called, interrupting the girl who was digging out some ripe crops. "I think you should-"

"Hey, Riana! Can you help us with this?" asked a farmer, who was trying to carry some bags of flour.

"Sure!" the trainer answered. "Sorry, Mozu. Can you dig out the rest of these crops for me?"

"But-" Before the young villager could answer, Riana was already on her way to helping the older farmer. Determined to have her get some break and get the time to be with her other Pokemon, though, Mozu said, "Wait! I can help with the flour!" Before either of them can say anything, the villager was already picking up each bag and putting them in the wheelbarrow. "At the bakery, right?"

"Well, yeah. But-" Before the farmer who requested for Riana's help can say anything, Mozu was already moving to her destination.

"What got into her?" Riana asked, never seeing this side of Mozu before.

"Don't know. Best guess is you, though." Riana turned to him in confusion. "You're kind of a model to her, ever since you helped us with our bandit problem. And you haven't stopped helping us still. This is our everyday job, and yet you still wanted to give us all a hand around here. I think she's trying to be like you."

Riana couldn't help but sweat drop at the assumption. Back in Alola, there were plenty of kids who did the same and did the best they could to help her help other people. There were some... damages, however, as they did so. But Riana knew Mozu wasn't like the other kids. Unlike them, she was more used to the work. She wouldn't hurt herself at the very least.

Or so she had hoped, for every time Riana was called to assist someone, Mozu would do the job instead, which worried the trainer as the native may be pushing her body a bit too far in doing most of the work. And by the time night fell, the villager in question flopped on her bed.

"I'm... so... tired.." she managed to breathe out. "I haven't felt this exhausted since I first started to help farm."

"You did do a lot of extra work," Riana pointed out from her spot on her sleeping bag.

"And you did this much every day? Not only that, but you also took some of our lessons in fighting. How did ya manage?"

"Played with a lot of Pokemon when I was younger, did lots of exploring, helped a lot around the house. Felt good to help out, so then I started to help out around town back home."

"And this was when you were younger?" Mozu asked in disbelief.

"Like about... ten or less," Riana answered.

"Ten years old?"

"Ten years ago. Sixteen now."

Mozu couldn't help but gawk at the trainer as she said that. ' _She does NOT look like someone who does so much work since she was six!_ ' she thought. ' _She's about the same build as me!_ '

"Well, we should get some shut eyes," Riana then suggested. "Tomorrow's another day after all. And Mozu, don't do all the work for me. I can help out too."

As much as the native wanted to tell her of her motive, she was exhausted to say a word. "Okay. Sure." And so, she went off into a deep sleep.

* * *

About an hour later, Riana got up as silently as she could. She carefully and sneakily walked out of the house and walked back into the clearing. As soon as she got there, Lycanroc got out of his Pokeball, providing her with some mental and emotional support.

"Thanks, boy," she said, patting him on the head. Looking down at the other five Pokeballs in her hands, she took a deep breath and tapped the button to enlarge them. Or at least... she tried to, again. Her thumbs wouldn't press them down, wouldn't enlarge them, wouldn't do what she wanted.

' _Come on, Riana. It's been a while since then. Now's the time to reconcile,_ ' she thought to herself, trying to press at least one ball. ' _But what if... what if they want nothing to do with me anymore?_ ' That one thought brought back all hesitation, unconsciously lifting her thumbs from their place. ' _I... I've been neglecting them for so long... I couldn't even look at Pokemon like them in the eyes. I... Because of me, we..._ ' The horrendous memory of that day came back. There, she once again saw it; the battle that changed everything. The loss of a good friend, a good partner, a promise, her confidence, everything.

The memory was too overwhelming for her, she fell to her knees once more. The moment she did, Lycanroc whimpered and comforted her the best he can. "It... It's all my fault... It's my fault... I failed them..." she unconsciously muttered.

As usual, unknown to them, Mozu stood at a distance, hidden from their sight. And as usual, as she watched Riana in such a state she was in, she couldn't help but feel sympathetic for her. She wanted to help her, to be of use to her, to do something to help her reconnect the bonds she had with the other five Pokemon she yet to call on. And yet, she didn't know how; the best she can do, was provide some support herself at a distance.

' _If only I can help her..._ ' she thought.

* * *

The next day, it was the same as every other days, with the exception of Mozu trying to make time for Riana to resolve her conflict with her Pokemon. Despite this, Riana still hadn't caught on to her idea and still tried to find ways to help the other villagers, under the assumption that Mozu was acting like the other kids back in Alola. But then... it happened.

"Trade merchants are here!" a villager announced.

As soon as that was heard, many of them grabbed whatever food or cotton they can get and waited at the entrance.

"Trade merchants?" Riana asked.

"Yeah. They come once a month or two with products from other villages. Crops we couldn't grow, herbs, accessories, clothes, sometimes weapons or books. But none of us can read, so books were out of question," Mozu explained.

Riana saw this as a chance for her. "Think they have a map?"

"Maybe. Why do you-?" Mozu stopped herself as she realized the trainer's reason for asking. "Oh..."

"This village can't be the only one to know, Mozu. Everyone has to know about Pokemon," Riana reasoned. "And besides, the Pokemon and I don't really belong here. So, until I find out a way to bring us all back to my home, I have to travel around, see new people, exchanged information, maybe even prevent whatever deaths that will be caused by both Pokemon and the soldiers here."

Mozu flinched when she heard that. True, she heard about how some of the soldiers died fighting Pokemon, but she didn't say any of that to Riana.

"I heard from other villagers," the trainer said, noticing the look on the farmer's face. "Mozu, you know as well as I do and everyone else that I had to go at some point."

"I know. It's just... it feels like you were a part of this village for a really long time. I kind of don't want you to go..."

Riana now felt a little guilty for planning on leaving like this. Like Mozu, she felt so familiar with the village. And though it was normal for kids to go out on their journey when they came of age, she had to be reminded that she wasn't in her world; the logic doesn't apply in this one. Besides that, if she left, there was a chance that the village would be attacked by bandits while she was gone, or some frightened, wild Pokemon.

It was then, an idea came to her head, as she took out a certain, white Pokeball.

"Here," she handed to Mozu.

The villager girl looked at the ball and recognized it as the one that contained Riana's Charizard. "What's this?" she asked, wondering why she was offering its ball to her.

"This village would still be under those bandits control if I didn't appear. And likewise, some of the villagers would've died fighting dangerous Pokemon if I hadn't taught them that they can be friends. Kind of like you." At the reminder of their first meeting, Mozu pouted a little and turned away. "That's why, Mozu. I'm leaving Charizard in your care." The villager quickly turned back to her in shock at those words. "He's not much of a fighter, as you may have noticed. But I know he's enough to protect this village from harm."

Mozu kept silent at the offer, not knowing what to say at all. On one hand, she didn't want to say goodbye to her. On the other, she knew Riana had to go. She didn't like it, but the trainer had to. As the girl accepted the Pokeball, she also hugged the foreigner. "You better come back some day," she said.

"Of course I will," Riana promised.

* * *

As soon as they joined the other villagers to the entrance, trade merchants had arrived. When Riana asked for a map, the village elder had explained to them of her situation and, to her luck, after this village, they were going to be on their way to the capital of Hoshido, where the royals were, as well as the Hoshidan soldiers. In exchange, she was to protect them from any attacking Pokemon on their way there. The merchants considered themselves lucky to not be attacked by any so far, but they couldn't be too careful.

After exchanging farewells and promises of returns, as well as leaving some berries for the villagers to grow to help any Pokemon in need, especially Oran and Sitrus Berries, Riana left with the merchants to the capital.

* * *

Days passed since then. During that time, some Pokemon may had gotten in their path, but after finding out the reason as to why, which were either to protect the baby Pokemon from hunters or to find food for their friends, they were able to continue their journey without trouble. There were a couple who just wanted to fight, but they were no match for both Riana and Lycanroc. After these past few days of traveling, though, they had finally arrived to their destination.

"Here we are, Riana. Castle Shisaragi," a merchant informed the resting girl in the carriage.

The trainer woke and looked out to see a tower, quite similar to the Bell Tower of Jhoto that she saw on tv once back home.

"So that's the place..." she breathed out.

"I'm sure with you helping out, everyone will feel more at ease. No one will have to worry about the Pokemon attacking," another merchant said.

"Hey now, you're making it sound like these Pokemon are Nohr's Faceless," another told him. "You should know that these guys are nothing like them."

"That's true."

Riana didn't pay attention to their conversation; just stared at their destination ahead of them with a huge smile on her face. "Castle Shisaragi... I wonder what kind of place it is."

The moment they arrived, after bidding her farewells to the merchants, Riana walked around the place, feeling quite amazed and at home in the capital. Amazed because she was in a new town, and that makes her feel quite excited. At home... well, the town reminded her of the Kanto region in some ways.

"Hey! Watch out for that bull!" came a cry.

Riana looked over to the source and widened her eyes to see a familiar, brown, rampaging, three-tailed bull in town. Every civilian ran for safety, as it attacked everything on sight. Well, it seemed that way to the people, who had never seen Pokemon before, but Riana knew better than them, especially since she has one herself. Knowing she was the only one who can stop it without any casualties, she charged into the fray.

A child tripped and fell during the rush. The bull didn't seem to notice her and just rushed on through. The kid looked back in fear of the oncoming Pokemon.

"Stop that Tauros, Lycanroc! Accelerock!" Riana shouted, throwing Lycanroc's Pokeball at it. The Wolf Pokemon popped out of his ball and pawed the Wild Bull Pokemon in the face, leaping over him and landing right behind him. The Rock-type certainly got Tauros's attention as he made a u-turn towards him. "On your hind legs and hold!" Lycanroc, knowing what his trainer was planning, did as told, with his paws raised, waiting as his opponent charged at him. Once the bull was close enough, Riana shouted, "Now! Stone Edge!" On cue, Lycanroc slammed his paws down and a glowing, blue stone pillar popped out of the ground, sending Taurus in the air. "Rock Climb!" Climbing up the rock, Lycanroc took it to the air after his opponent and practically axe-kicked him in the face, sending him down to the ground once more.

The Tauros shakily got up, shaking off the damage he received from the fall. As soon as he saw Lycanroc land, he glowed a red aura and started charging at him with a glowing, blue head.

"Accelerock again!" Riana ordered.

Lycanroc did as told and charged in again. Instead of clashing head on, the wolf used Tauros's head as a stepping stone again and jumped over him. Landing on one paw and u-turning, the Rock-type then slammed into his opponent from behind.

This time, it seemed enough to take out the Normal-type, as he fell on his side. Riana knew her Pokemon did the finishing touch on his opponent and approached the downed Tauros. "Hey there. Are you okay?" she asked him.

The Tauros regained conscious, looking at the trainer with a sad expression on his face.

"You Tauros really know how to make trouble." She pulled out an Oran Berry from her person. "Here. Eat this. It'll help you regain your strength."

The Wild Bull Pokemon sniffed the berry before taking it in his mouth and ate it up. Once he felt reenergized, he happily got back on his hooves, letting out a happy grunt.

"I'm glad you're okay, too!" Riana exclaimed, patting the Pokemon on the head. Lycanroc joined the group, nudging his trainer for some attention. "Okay, Lycanroc. You did a good job back there too."

"You there!" came a voice.

Suddenly, Riana found herself surrounded by a group of ninjas. Both Lycanroc and the wild Tauros got into battle position, ready to defend the girl.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"That's our question to you!" spoke a ninja with red hair and a scar on his right eye. "What you did just now... That was not normal! You will come with us or face the consequences!"

Riana could already tell that she and these men around her would not get along so well, especially not when they don't think of Pokemon as friends like she does.

"I think I'd rather take my chances," she answered. "What would you have done to this Tauros if I wasn't here?"

"Did you really ask something so foolish? I applaud you to somehow being able to calm that monster, but unless if we do what should be done, it's only a matter of time until it acts up again! As did the other magical creatures that suddenly appeared in Hoshido!"

Hearing those words made Riana angry, as she clenched her fists. "You'd go that far for creatures you don't know about? Creatures that you could've come in peace with! And here I thought she was exaggerating when she spoke about how you soldiers would react to seeing Pokemon..." The trainer was referring to Mozu, not that any of the ninjas knew who she was.

"Come in peace?! With those monsters?! You're out of your mind, girl!" the scarred ninja shouted. "It's because of these monsters that we've lost some of our men! Though not in death, they were heavily injured and mentally scarred! For you to side with them... makes you our enemy!"

"Or maybe you guys should just calm down and use your head for a minute! You thought of them as animals in the beginning, didn't you?! How do you think a normal animal would react to an armed human approaching it?! Pokemon, though far more intelligent, are no different! For you to just judge them based on the outcome of your men... you're no human if you don't listen to reason!"

Those words, though brought hesitation and confusion to the other ninjas, only angered the red-head. "You've said your last words? Then die with them!" He charged at them at high speed.

Before Riana can give a command, a green barrier suddenly appeared around her, Lycanroc and Tauros, blocking the ninja's attack.

"What?!" he gasped out.

Riana knew this attack all too well and turned to the Wild Bull Pokemon, whom looked back at her with a nod. A smile formed on her face as she looked around her surroundings. "Okay Lycanroc. Make a path for us! Stone Edge!" Lycanroc did as told and called upon his glowing blue pillars, blocking the ninjas and forming a path for their escape. "Good, return!" The trainer called him back in his Pokeball and turned to Tauros. "Mind if I hitch a ride?"

Tauros nodded and lowered himself to make it easier for her to get on his back.

' _Different from Pokemon riding, but it'll have to do!_ ' she thought.

"Charge!" At that order, the Tauros ran across the path, making their escape.

"Don't let them get away!" Riana heard the leading ninja ordered.

Unfortunately, getting chased was the last thing on her mind, for there were still some people in the path.

"Excuse me! Get out of the way!" she shouted, getting their attention. Thankfully, everyone got out of the way, but not without getting some of their merchandise or products trampled on by the escaping Tauros.

' _I have to pay for all of those later..._ ' Riana thought, looking at the broken items her borrowed Pokemon had accidentally destroyed. Bringing her attention back to the road, her eyes widened in fear as she saw a woman in white clothes walking across the plaza, with a man in heavy red armor by her side.

"Get out of the way! Please!" she called out to them.

The two turned their attention to her and Tauros. Upon seeing the dangerous-looking Pokemon approaching them, the man stood before his companion, prepared to unsheathe his sword that Riana just noticed was by his hip. Not wanting anyone to die by accident, Riana managed to reach for the wild Pokemon's horns and forced him to turn, just in time to avoid a slash from the man. However, in doing so, she directed her ride towards a pole, ramming them both into it. Before fading into unconsciousness, the last thing Riana saw were the ninjas caught up to them and heard what sounded like worries.


	6. Dark History

**Say hello to more A Trainer's Fate! Now in this one... to any of those who are emotional, you may cry in the middle. And to all of you readers in general... You will most likely hate me for the ending, but I regret nothing!**

 **And remember, to those of you who are also Awaken the Ninja fans, if you have any idea for the two year arc that can deepen the bond between Shepherds, mainly for the future kids, I will be happy to hear them out and accept them!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Fire Emblem of any kind for either of them. I do, however, own my OC.**

* * *

When Riana came to, the first thing she noticed was the soft feeling of a bed under her. Opening her eyes, she found herself in what seemed like an infirmary room. Riana tried to recall what happened, only to groan as she felt a headache rushing in.

"Oh! You're awake!" came a young voice.

Riana looked at the direction of the voice and saw a little girl with pink hair in a shrine maiden outfit and an older girl with red hair in white and red clothes looking at her. "Ow... What happened?" she asked, slowly sitting up. When the pain returned, Riana placed a hand on her head to ease it and felt bandages wrapped around her head.

"Careful! You're still hurt from that crash!" the younger girl told her.

"'Crash'?" A few seconds of registering that word, Riana finally remembered what happened before she blacked out. "The Tauros!" She shot out of bed and made an attempt to just leave, when the older girl grabbed her arm.

"Whoa! Calm down there! What's the rush?" she asked.

"Did you really just ask that?! How can I be calm when a Pokemon is in danger?!" Riana reached to her belt to call out Lycanroc, only to feel empty space. Looking down, she noticed that she was out of her trainer clothes and in a white kimono. "My Pokeballs! Where are my Pokeballs?!"

Before either of them could answer, a ruckus was heard outside the room. "What's going on now?" the red-head female questioned, opening the door. Upon seeing a Hoshidan ninja rush by, she asked, "Hey! What's going on out here?!"

"Lady Hinoka! The throne room- it's being infiltrated!" he answered.

"Infiltrated?! By what?!"

"Magical creatures! They-they just showed up out of nowhere!"

Riana didn't need to ask to know what he meant by that, nor did she need to ask again where her Pokemon are. "Where's the throne room?! Take me there now!"

"But you still have to recover," the pinkette told her.

"There's no time for that! Take me to the throne room! Now!"

* * *

 _ ***EARLIER***_

In the throne room, Queen Mikoto and her oldest son, Ryoma, stood with their retainers, inspecting their guest's belongings.

"These are such strange clothing," Ryoma's female retainer, Kagero, stated.

"These berries are just as odd," Mikoto's youngest retainer, Orochi, said, holding a Sitrus Berry in her hand.

"There doesn't seem to be any weapon or summoning cards here," Mikoto's older retainer, Reina, said. "Although, for such a small bag, it sure can carry a lot of stuff."

"Keep searching! There has to be something here that allows that girl to control those two magical creatures the way she did!" the ninja that confronted Riana earlier, Saizo, ordered.

"Saizou, I know you care about our kingdom, but I am sure that there is a peaceful explanation for her being able to do so," Ryoma said. "Plus, surely you didn't forget about the deed she had done."

"Are you referring to the destruction of the plaza?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

Sadly for Saizo, he did.

* * *

 _ ***FLASHBACK***_

Saizo and his ninjas finally caught up to Riana and the wild Tauros. Both were knocked out when the girl directed the Wild Bull Pokemon away from his lord and the queen and into a pole.

"Milord! Are you unharmed?!" he asked.

"I'm fine," Ryoma answered. "But that girl..."

"Is undoubtedly in leagues with these magical creatures. Either that or she's the mastermind behind their sudden appearance in Hoshido. Regardless, she is a danger to our kingdom!"

"I wouldn't say that, Saizo," Mikoto begged to differ. "If she really is a danger, she should've let that creature run over us, or attempt to."

"You're far too kind, my queen," Saizo said. "But we best not take chances. I suggest you let us ninjas interrogate this girl, get as much information as possible about these magical creatures so we can either end them before they end us or use them to fight against Nohr and end this meaningless war."

"Saizo! I'd rather not resort to such measures!" Ryoma scolded.

"U-Um..." The group all turned to a voice and saw the child Riana saved standing nearby.

"Lady Sakura! What are you doing here?" Saizo asked.

"W-Well... There was a sale for some sweets and I couldn't really help myself but to come and see for myself..." she answered.

"Whatever the reason, I am glad to see you're okay," Mikoto said, approaching her daughter.

Saizo glared at the unconscious Riana. "For her to involve even the youngest princess of Hoshido in this mess... This girl does not deserve mercy!" He took out a shuriken.

"Wait! Don't kill her!" Sakura cried out, getting between him and his target.

"Out of the way, Lady Sakura."

"She saved me!" Everyone froze at those words. Trembling in slight fear at the attention, Sakura asked, "Y-You wouldn't... kill the person who saved one of the royal children of Hoshido... would you?"

When the young princess put it that way, it was hard for Saizo to decide what to do with Riana. On one hand, she knew of their new enemy. For all he knew, she could be the reason why they all suddenly appeared in the first place. On the other hand, this very same trainer saved the life of the youngest Hoshidan princess. He couldn't possibly kill someone who had done such a thing. Unless if they were Nohrian, maybe.

* * *

 _ ***END OF FLASHBACK***_

"Anyone who'd go that far for any of the Hoshidan royals can't be that bad," Mikoto said. "And besides, Orochi said she didn't sense any evil intentions from her either."

"That's right, I didn't. Nor did I see a future that had her in it," Orochi said.

Kagero looked at one of the small balls that were attached to the strap of Riana's bag. She took one in her hand and inspected it. ' _What are these little things?_ ' she wondered. Pressing down the button, she was shocked to see it enlarge.

Reina turned to the female ninja and took notice of the ball. "What is that? Some sort of bomb?"

How one wished she didn't say that, for Saizo looked Kagero's way and at the ball. "Kagero! Drop that now!" He smacked it out of her hands. The ball hit the ground and opened up, releasing some kind of light from within.

The light took into a form and dissipated, revealing a red and black humanoid tiger-like creature with a grey chest and flaming belt from within. The creature opened his eyes and, upon seeing a group of people he didn't know with Riana's belongings, let out a loud roar.

"Another one of those magical creatures?!" Orochi gasped.

"So that's how she got them here," Saizo muttered, taking out a Flame Shuriken. "Let's take this beast out first, then destroy the rest of those balls!"

Those words angered the Pokemon even more, as he covered himself in flames and charged at the humans. They all quickly moved out of his path, having the Pokemon pass them. He skidded to a stop and glared back at his enemies, all who turned back to him.

Unsheathing his blade, Ryoma noticed, in the Pokemon's arm, was Riana's bag. "Be careful! He has the bag! He could call on more of his allies!"

Proving him wrong and not wanting to put the other Pokemon in danger, the Pokemon put the shoulder bag on and got into his own battle position.

"You think you're enough to handle us? Think again, you magical creature!" Saizo exclaimed, getting the wrong intention, as he charged at the beast.

The Pokemon had one arm behind him and the other across his chest. With such perfect timing, he swung both arms and knocked Saizo away.

"Saizo!" Kagero called in worry. She turned her attention back to their opponent and tossed some shurikens at it, with Orochi summoning a mouse spirit at the same time.

This time, the tiger-like creature breathed out powerful flames, burning away the attacks, to their shock.

"In one hit?!" Kagero gasped.

Saizo turned to a Hoshidan soldier. "You there! Bring reinforcements! Now!"

"Y-Yes sir!" he shouted, exiting the room.

Though the logical thing to do in this situation would be to kill the messenger, it was not in this Pokemon's nature to go for the weak. And even if it wasn't, such a tactic is a lowly villainous one, in which the Pokemon wasn't. And above all, he was not a murderer.

"Reina! Get mother out of here!" Ryoma ordered.

"As you wish," she nodded, getting Mikoto away from the crisis.

"Orochi, Kagero! Provide backup!" Saizo told the girls.

"Right!" both agreed.

The male ninja and his lord charged at the Pokemon, while the girls either tossed more shurikens or summoned more rat spirits.

The Pokemon breathed out more flames, blocking the long-ranged attacks. While he was distracted, Saizo went behind him and attempted to strike down the beast, only to be met with another pair of lariats. One to disarm the ninja, and the other to knock him back. After taking down that ninja, the Pokemon turned his attention back to Ryoma. The swordmaster raised his legendary blade, Raijinto, crackling in the air, and swung it down. At the same time, the tiger-like creature crossed his arms and delivered a double chop, somehow deflecting the blow.

' _He blocked Raijinto?!_ ' Ryoma thought in shock. Next thing the prince knew, the monster was covered in flames once more and rammed into him, knocking the oldest royal child into his female companions.

Just then, more soldiers appeared into the room.

"Stop right there, you monster!" one of them called.

The Pokemon looked at the reinforcements with a menacing glare. One look and majority of the men flinched. Some even backed away in fear.

"D-Don't be afraid!" the leader of the group ordered with a stutter. "We can't let this monster terrorize our home!"

"INCINEROAR!" the Pokemon roared out. Just that alone made several of the soldiers retreat.

"Wait! Come back!" the leader called. Sadly, because his attention was on the retreating soldiers, it let him wide open for a heavy chop attack by the Pokemon. The force behind it was so strong, it knocked him and a handful soldiers out of the room and unconscious.

The remaining soldiers looked at this scene in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened. A growl was heard, as they slowly turned to the source and saw the Pokemon looking down at them all. "ROOOOOOOAAAAARRRRR!" With that final roar, more soldiers ran in fear while some fell on their butts or knees, even more scared by the monstrous creature.

"You will pay for that, magical creature!" Saizo shouted, tossing more shurikens at the tiger-man, whom burned them all to crisp.

Ryoma got back on his feet. "He's certainly a powerful one," he stated. "It's too dangerous to continue our fight in here."

"What do you suggest we do, milord?" Kagero asked.

"Something tells me we can't just lure it away from here," Orochi said.

Ryoma knew she was right and wondered how he could at least stop the monster. The answer to that question, came in the most unexpected form possible.

"What's going on in here?!" came a voice.

Everyone turned to the exit and saw Sakura, Riana, and the red head girl entering the room. The sight of the Pokemon frightened the youngest girl.

"Hinoka! Sakura! Get out of here!" Ryoma called out to them.

"And leave you guys here?! No way, bro!" Hinoka denied, taking a spear a soldier dropped into her hands and charged at the Pokemon.

Said opponent, however, didn't have his eyes on her, thus making the girl assume she'll land a hit, while at the same time wondering why he was looking away. Her assumption changed, however, when the tiger-like creature spun and swung his arms, knocking the spear out of her hands and her to the ground.

"Hinoka!" Ryoma cried out in worry. He turned his attention back to the Pokemon and saw him approaching Sakura and Riana. Not wanting the beast to attack his youngest sister, he swung Raijinto down, unleashing some lightning from the legendary blade towards the Pokemon.

In response, the tiger-man turned to the direction of the lightning and breathed out more flames. The two attacks collided and caused an explosion. Luckily, it wasn't big or strong enough to destroy the room.

Ryoma tried to look past the smoke to locate his opponent. All of a sudden, the smoke was getting blown away by the Pokemon, spinning like a top. He slowed to a stop, glaring at Ryoma with a growl.

' _He could've taken this chance to attack me while I was blinded. Why didn't he?_ ' the prince wondered.

Next thing anyone knew, something flew by and struck the Pokemon by the shoulder.

"Leave my family alone, you monster!" Turning to the source, majority of the group saw a young man with long grey hair tied in a ponytail pointing his bow and arrow at the Pokemon.

"Takumi!" Sakura cried out.

"Ryoma! I got your back! Deal with that beast!" Takumi told the red armored swordmaster.

"Thank you, Takumi!" Ryoma thanked, rushing in to continue his fight with his opponent.

While they fought, in Riana's eyes, she wasn't truly seeing the battle. No... The moment she laid eyes on her Pokemon, she was seeing the battle that made her lose faith in most of her team, the battle... that changed her relationship with them.

"Stop it..." she muttered out, getting Sakura's attention.

"Miss?" the shrine maiden princess asked, noticing the faraway look in Riana's eyes.

In Riana's eyes, she saw her Pokemon, her Incineroar, fighting off against an opponent he couldn't defeat, an opponent that easily wiped out the rest of her team, an opponent... that was far unlike any she had ever faced before.

"Stop it..." she said again, a little louder than the last.

Hinoka met up with the two girls. "Looks like this battle is good as won now," she said. Noticing Riana's expression, she asked, "What's wrong with her?"

In the trainer's eyes, she saw Incineroar refusing to yield against this powerful opponent, whom had only continued to 'play' around with its prey, continuously knocking him down as he attempted to get back up, ignoring Riana's cries.

"Stop it...!" Tears started to well up in Riana's eyes as the memory seemed more real, as the Incineroar now was getting beaten by Ryoma, not at all getting any chance to do much as Takumi shoot his arrows at him.

"Now brother! Finish it!" the second prince shouted, as Incineroar got to his knees in exhaustion and pain.

Ryoma took this chance to run his sword through when-

"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!" Riana let out a loud and desperate scream. Falling to her knees, she cried out, "Stop it! Please stop! You'll kill him!"

Not recognizing this new face, Takumi scowled and questioned, "Are you crazy?! That thing's-!"

"Please stop! Don't hurt Incineroar any more!" Riana didn't hear the boy and continued to scream out pleas for him to stop. No... not pleas for them. "I beg of you! You're going to kill him! Spare my Pokemon! Take my life instead!" Hearing those words shocked everyone in the room.

"Whoa, wait! We're not going to-!"

"Stop it! Stop hurting him! Let Incineroar go!" Riana's screams cut Hinoka off, as the Hoshidans all clearly see that something was wrong with the girl.

Incineroar already knew what was wrong with her. In fact, it was the one thing that stopped her from calling him and the rest of her A-team out in the first place. Not wanting his trainer to relive that horrid moment any longer, he slowly got up from his spot, picking up his Pokeball that coincidentally rolled towards him during the fight. Because everyone was distracted, they didn't notice the Heel Pokemon approaching the girls until he stood in front of his traumatized, still-screaming trainer. Incineroar grabbed Riana by the shoulders and gave her a little shake, snapping her out of her memory lane. Fully returned to the real world, Riana slowly looked up and met Incineroar's sad, pitiful eyes. The Heel Pokemon handed her her bag and placed his Pokeball in her hand. He tapped on the button and returned himself right back in.

It was silent right there. No one dared say a word, especially not to Riana, who just stayed on her knees, eyes on the Pokeball in her hand.

Sakura was the first to try and reach out to her. "Um... A-Are you o-?"

"Damn it!" Riana tossed the Pokeball to the other side of the room, interrupting the princess. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" The girl continuously cursed herself, hitting the floor below her with everything she had, trying to get all her frustration out of her system. It wasn't at her Pokemon, nor at the Hoshidans who attacked him. No... It was at herself for her own cowardice and weakness. The girl was so angry at herself, she didn't bother holding back when her hands started to bleed from continuously hitting the floor like so.

Sakura wanted to heal her, but Hinoka held her back. The older girl wasn't willing to take the chance of the trainer accidentally hitting her sister in the middle of her frustration.

* * *

The next day, Riana was back in the infirmary room, looking out the window with her arms covered in bandages. The girl couldn't sleep last night, not when she was seeing that scene every time she closed her eyes. She barely even ate, feeling extremely guilty about how she reacted towards Incineroar.

' _This... is what I wanted to avoid..._ ' she thought. She knew her Pokemon knew or suspected that she was traumatized that day. Why else would she avoid being around them? But still... to actually see her panic like so, to see her broken like she was... It was another thing entirely.

Riana got up from her bed, unconsciously taking her bag from its spot on the table nearby, with all six of her Pokeballs on the strap, and left the room. As soon as she walked out, she heard someone call out to her.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?!" Riana turned and saw a girl around Sakura's age with wavy, light brown hair, dressed as a female samurai, standing there.

"I just need some air..." she weakly answered.

The female samurai, Hana, heard the situation from Sakura and could only look at Riana with a sad look. "Don't take too long," was all she could say.

With a nod, Riana continued her leave.

* * *

The trainer walked out of the castle and, after spending some time of roaming around, found herself at a lake. She looked at the clear waters and stared at the reflection of herself. The reflection stared back at her with eyes as dead as her's, eyes turned red from all that crying yesterday. Looking at her reflection, she couldn't help but remember what it was like when she and her ace team were truly a team, how they would win every battle, how they would have fun during their adventures, even when they were taking their trials, fought against Alola's Four Tapus and when Riana became Alola's first champion. But now? Now look at her...

"I'm so pathetic..." she said to herself, lightly swiping at her reflection in disgust.

Just then, she heard what sounded like... singing? "You are the ocean's gray waves~ Destined to seek, life beyond the shore just out of reach~"

"A song? Is someone there?" Riana asked, mostly herself. She got up and walked to the direction of the song.

"Yet the waters ever change~ Flowing like time. The path is yours to climb~" There, singing and dancing in shallow waters, was a girl with extremely long, blue hair in white clothes, with what looked like a veil on her head. "In the white light~ A hand reaches through~ A double-edge blade cuts your heart in two. Waken dreams fade away. Embrace the brand new day~ Sing with me a song~... Of birthrights and love. The light scatters to the sky above~ Dawn breaks through the gloom~ White as a bone. Lost in thoughts, all alone~" It was then the girl finally noticed someone watching her and turned to see Riana staring.

Snapped out of her daze, the trainer quickly apologized. "Oh! S-Sorry for staring! I didn't mean to be rude!"

"It's fine," the girl answered. "You must be the guest everyone's been talking about."

Riana was aware of the rumors spreading around about her. Both about how she was able to 'control Pokemon' and about... the incident in the throne room. "Which one? The one in the throne room or the one about Poke- Excuse me. Magical creatures."

"Both really." The girl walked out of the lake, drying her feet with a towel nearby. "In fact, I was hoping to meet you." Riana raised a brow in confusion at those words.

"You were... hoping to meet me?" she repeated.

"Yes. They, mostly Sakura, said that you ordered a wolf-like creature to stop the rampaging bull we now have in the training ground. And with all these magical creatures suddenly appearing like they are, it makes me wonder something... about a best friend of mine I've had for years."

Before Riana could ask her who she meant and why she was telling her about it, the blue-haired singer let out a whistle towards the lake. Next thing she knew, a familiar creature jumped out of the water and landed by the girl's side.

"A Popplio?!" Riana gasped in shock.

That gasp was enough to confirm the singer's suspicions about the blue sea lion. "As I thought, Blue is related to them."

"'Blue'? That Popplio?"

She nodded in confirmation. "My name is Azura. I'm Queen Mikoto's adopted daughter. And Blue here has been my friend for ten years."

Hearing that surprised Riana. "Ten years?! But I thought the Pokemon-"

"Just showed up a little over a month ago, and they did," Azura interrupted. "I don't know the whole story with Blue, but I found him at this lake ten years ago, getting picked on by some animals. After I saved him, the two of us had been inseparable ever since. Right?" That last part was directed to the Popplio, who nodded in confirmation.

Seeing how close the two were brought a smile on her face. "Seeing the two of you like this, I have a hard time comprehending why the Hoshidan soldiers see the other Pokemon as enemies. Then again, the fact that you came to me to confirm his species says that no one knew he's like them."

"That's right. And I wouldn't dare think what some people would say and do when they learn the truth about Blue, if they hadn't already."

Riana walked towards Blue and knelt down to meet him at eye level. "Looks like you got yourself a good friend. And a reliable trainer." Blue nodded in agreement.

Azura, on the other hand, raised a brow in confusion. "'Trainer'?"

"It's what we call people with Pokemon back in my world, mostly travelers."

"So then, you're a trainer as well?"

Riana looked down when she asked that. "You can say that..."

Azura noticed her sudden change in expression and sat down next to her. "What's wrong? Why the sudden change?" she asked.

"... I don't want to talk about it..."

"Does it have anything to do with the incident in the throne room?" Riana stayed silent at Azura's question. That itself was enough to answer her question, though. "I see... Are you sure you don't want to talk about it? It might help you feel better if you do."

Riana knew the adopted princess was right. But how can she just tell a complete stranger about what happened? About why she had that break down back in the throne room. But then again... she really needed to let her problems out or she'll never get better.

And so she spoke. She told Azura everything about that breakdown. Why she just lost it back there, why she and majority of her Pokemon weren't as close as they should've been, why she was only okay with her Lycanroc by her side. Each word that came out of her mouth... was making Riana feel even worse about herself.

"I just want things to be how they were before the incident... And yet I can't do that..." she said. "Out of all Pokemon I've captured, of all Pokemon I've made friends with, of all Pokemon I got along so well with... I can no longer be the same Riana in their eyes. It's stupid, isn't it? I should get over that completely and yet, I can't. And for a good reason too. After that battle, I couldn't look at any of them in the eye. I was afraid that, after winning so many battles before, they must've become disappointed in me for losing that one battle. We've fought legendary Pokemon and conquered then, Ultra Beasts and beat those, and yet... That one Pokemon... I'm not even so sure if it can be called that, but it beat my team so easily, like we were just rookies... I even had my whole team out, and yet... Because of me..." Her mind flashed to a certain moment that happened that day. The very moment... that made Riana lose faith in her ace team's faith in her.

Arms were suddenly wrapped around her, as Azura pulled the girl in for a hug. "It's not your fault," she said. "You did what you could against that Pokemon, didn't you? I may not know about the bond between real trainers and Pokemon, but I'm sure your team never blamed you for what happened back then. If they did, then why would they still be with you? If they really did only want to be around a strong trainer, they could've just left you that day and find some other trainer to be with. Yet, they stayed by your side, by choice! If there's one thing I learned from Blue about his kind, it's that Pokemon would never abandon their trainer. Not when they've received such kindness from that trainer. You care about your Pokemon, don't you?"

"Of course I do..."

"Then there you go." Azura broke the hug. "If you do care about them, and they know how much you really care, then you should be able to reconcile."

Riana thought over her words and found that she was right. Riana was so blinded by the heavy loss that day, after so many victories beforehand, she had forgotten the kind of Pokemon they truly were; they weren't the kind who thought winning was everything. They weren't petty to pout over a loss, no matter how heavy it was. And especially not when they usually lose one or two fights every once in a while. If they lost a battle, they'll do whatever they could to get stronger for the next fight. And of what Riana knew... That battle wasn't the last they'll be seeing that Pokemon, no matter what world they ended up in.

"You're right," she uttered out, a small smile forming on her face. "Thank you, Azura."

Azura smiled back at her. "It's getting late. We should be heading back right now."

"You can go on ahead. I'd like to be here for a little longer."

Azura knew what she really meant by that and walked back to the castle, with Blue following.

Riana looked back at the lake again, letting out a sigh and put a fist on her forehead. "For me to be told that by a rookie trainer who isn't even a trainer... I must be that blinded the whole time after all..." she said. "All this time, it wasn't that I know they don't trust me anymore; it was more that I stopped trusting them and myself." Riana thought back to yesterday, when she was snapped out of her breakdown and Incineroar gave her his Pokeball and returned himself back in.

' _After all this time... These guys actually still..._ ' Riana had thought. Mustering up her courage, she plucked the five Pokeballs off the strap. ' _If it turns out they really did stop believing in me and only stayed out of pity... Then that's fine. At the very least, I now know they still cared enough, and I'll be making peace with them._ ' Without another second to delay, she enlarged the balls and tossed them in the air.


	7. A New Arrival

**What's up folks?! I hope you're ready because we're going to have some real butt-kicking action Pokemon style! Yes, you heard right, there will be a better fight scene here than the one last chapter! For those of you who do not know what I mean, last night, I posted up another chapter of A Trainer's Fate. Which means, to those who didn't read last chapter, you have two chapters to be a reading! Now enjoy to your heart's content~!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Fire Emblem of any kind for either of them. I do, however, own my OC.**

* * *

It had been less than a week since Riana arrived in Castle Shisaragi and, compared to the first day, things had been going well for her. After managing to finally make peace with the rest of her ace team, peace that left both sides crying tears of relief and joy, Riana explained to the royal family and their retainers about what the Pokemon were and where they came from. So to say, many were in disbelief with what she had said and a few assumed that she was making up lies, that there was no such thing as another world. However, when Riana brought up the many items she had on her, especially the berries, the assumption had died down, and people were starting to believe that she and the Pokemon really were from another world.

When she was done convincing them about there being another world, one filled with Pokemon and the peace between them and the humans, Riana was more or less 'forced' and 'demanded' to teach them how to control Pokemon by Saizo. However, after arguing with him that Pokemon are not tools to be used for war, that they have just as much feelings as a human would, Queen Mikoto promised Riana that Pokemon will be treated just as they would treat any Hoshidans, that they would not be treated poorly in any way, shape or form. She even made a public announcement about the Pokemon, with Riana and Tauros, the very same Tauros she met on her first day there, by her side to further prove and explain to the people that Pokemon are not savages.

Speaking of, after the announcement, Riana and Tauros both apologized to to the people about the damages they unintentionally had caused. The girl was even willing to pay for the damages herself, not with money, but with the nuggets and pearls she had on her, as well as some berries. However, the damages was apparently already paid by the queen herself, as thanks for saving Sakura, and the people had forgiven the two for the damages.

Speaking of the royal family, Riana had more or less gotten close to them, especially Azura. It may be because she was the only other person with a Pokemon, but Riana felt more comfortable talking about Pokemon with her, even though the adopted princess had no idea what she was saying half the time. But Azura was happy that their guest was happy, especially considering everything that had happened. Not only that, but Blue himself enjoyed Riana's company just as much as he enjoyed Azura's, and he got to play with Riana's Pokemon every once in a while. Seeing her Popplio happy made Azura happy. Not only that, the princess also found Riana's company comforting, especially when she sings by the lake. She may had Popplio by her side since they first met, and she did get to hang out with her siblings when they were free, but she still felt lonely sometimes from the lack of human company. Ever since Riana arrived in the capital though, the trainer would use most of her free time hanging out with the adopted princess, and the two became friends.

With Ryoma, he respected Riana greatly as a leader. Ever since they accepted Tauros in the royal family, the trainer made it her job to keep him on his best behavior. The only way to do that was to battle him on a daily basis. Of course, she wasn't doing the battling; she had Incineroar do the fighting. Watching how Riana commanded her Pokemon to fight against the strong-willed Tauros, timing the dodges and attacks perfectly like so, even ordering Incineroar to hold his ground and grabbed the charging Wild Bull Pokemon by the horns to stop his charging attacks, made Ryoma respect and trust Riana and her Fire-type Pokemon. Same, however, can't be said for Incineroar to the prince.

For some reason, the Heel Pokemon seemed quite angry with Ryoma, which he, Riana, and several others noticed. Incineroar refused to look at the oldest prince in the eyes, or even acknowledge his presence. Saizo assumed that he may still be angry that he almost lost to the swordmaster, even voiced out that the Fire-type was a sore loser for not letting go of that one battle. Kagero scolded him for saying such horrible thing.

Riana, however, explained to them of Incineroar's species. How they liked to fight strong opponents, as opposed to any weak ones. Not only that, but her Incineroar respects any strong opponent he fought against in one-on-ones. The only reason for the cold attitude towards Ryoma was because of Takumi's assistance that time; the Heel Pokemon was starting to respect the oldest prince when they fought back in the throne room. But when Ryoma said nothing to his younger brother about interrupting their fight between men, accepting the archer's assistance, Incineroar lost all respect for him and saw him as a coward who hides behind other's backs when things get too tough for him.

Upon hearing that explanation and reason, Ryoma had apologized to the Fire-type Pokemon and requested for a proper one-on-one fight. At first, Incineroar wasn't willing to accept the request, but with Riana's... persuasion, the Heel Pokemon accepted the challenge, which lasted for quite a long time and ended in a draw. The soldiers back then still shivered as they recalled Riana's method to get Incineroar to accept Ryoma's challenge, but it got the Pokemon to respect the prince, who respected him back.

With Hinoka, Riana was quickly fascinated by Hoshido's winged Ponyta, which she found out were actually called pegasus. There was an incident where the princess's pegasus ran amok for some reason. Riana remembered a similar situation happen once on a Ponyta in her home region of Kanto and took action. Some thought she was crazy to run towards a rampaging pegasus, and even crazier when she just jumped on its back, removed its reins and forced its mouth to open up. Seconds later, the pegasus tossed Riana off its back, hurling her into some bushes. Hinoka rushed to her side to see if she was okay, in which Riana answered that she was... and that she got rid of her mount's problem. As it turned out, the winged horse had a toothache, and with it gone, the pegasus was back to its normal and calm self, even nudging and nuzzling the trainer in great gratitude. Hinoka was just as grateful for her help. In exchange, she gave Riana a ride on her pegasus and taught her everything she knew about pegasi.

For Takumi... So to say the guy never trusted her one bit. The reason? Her Pokemon and her claim of another world. He was one of the few to see them as natural enemies like Faceless and Nohrians, and that still refused to believe there being another world out there, despite the proofs. Riana and the other royal children asked him to give them a chance and he'll see that Pokemon can be friends. Unfortunately, it was all for naught. Riana managed to get his retainers to believe Pokemon are good, in telling one that there was a Pokemon that can tailor clothes and the other that there are Pokemon who fight respectful battles, but in respect to their prince's decision, both decided to hide their beliefs around him.

Lastly, Sakura. The child was extremely friendly towards Riana, especially after she found out Blue was a Pokemon like the rest of the magical creatures. As it turned out, ever since she was an infant, Sakura was extremely fond of the Popplio, often playing with him and Azura whenever she had the chance to. When she heard the magical creatures are as friendly as Blue, she was quite quick to adapt. Or at least... she tried to. The princess tried her best to befriend the Tauros Riana befriended, but was unable to. For one thing, after overhearing Riana's explanation about how Tauros usually goes on rampage or knock down thick trees to calm itself, she didn't want to get hurt or worse trying to befriend it. That, and there was the fact that she almost died by it. Riana noticed this and did her best to close the gap between the two, especially since the Wild Bull Pokemon himself felt bad for almost killing the princess.

After some trials and errors and practices with Riana's Pokemon, mainly some of the fierce-looking ones, Sakura finally managed to befriend Tauros. The Normal-type himself was extremely happy the princess finally warmed up to him, he may had gotten Sakura on his back and went on a happy, charging run. The princess was grateful Riana was nearby with Incineroar to hold back the happy Wild Bull, or Tauros would've caused a huge mess in the palace. And coming from a fierce Pokemon that rampages on a daily basis, that was an understatement.

And now? Riana was just casually taking a walk in the market, back in her trainer's clothes. Compared to how it was the last time she was here when Queen Mikoto made that public announcement, business was booming and there was no sign of any sort of damage that had occurred here recently. The sight of this made her feel both happy and homesick. Happy that everyone was getting along well with one another and business was doing okay, and homesick because... well, it reminded her of some markets back in Alola.

When the thought of home came up in her head, it made Riana realize that she still didn't know how to get back to her world, or if there was a way back to begin with. And let's not forget the Pokemon; she had to find out a reason why they were appearing in this new world and find a way to bring them back. But... what if they don't want to go back? Questions kept popping up in Riana's head, questions that brought up more questions with no solutions.

"Oh! Aren't you..." came a voice. Riana turned and saw an old man running a takoyaki stand. "I thought you looked familiar! From that public announcement! How's life in the capital?"

"It's fine, thank you," she answered. "You run a takoyaki stand?"

"Yeah. Would you like a free sample?" The guy poked a toothpick in one of the steaming takoyakis.

"Thanks." Riana accepted the meal and, after blowing it a few times, put it in her mouth whole. Taken aback by how hot it was inside, she quickly blew out some of the hot air. "Whoa! That's really hot! But it's delicious!"

"Is that so?! Then how about taking one box? On the house!"

"Are you sure?!"

"Of course! Think of it as my way of saying thanks! If you hadn't told us of how friendly these magical creatures are, I'd have a hard time running this place by myself!" Before she could ask him what he meant, a green, venus flytrap-like creatures appeared behind him.

"A Carnivine?!" Riana gasped in shock.

"Oh! So this guy is one of those Pokemon creatures!" the takoyaki owner said. "This guy here has been a huge help! Few nights ago, I had a special sale on my takoyaki, and this guy made twice the takoyaki I make and made an easy sale for me!"

Little did he knew, the very same Carnivine was slowly reaching out for one of the takoyaki boxes, hungry and slightly drooling for some goods. The owner quickly slapped his hand(?), causing the Grass-type to recoil in pain.

"Hey now. Those are for the customers," he scolded. Carnivine felt bad at the reminder. "If you want some, take the free samples." Once presented the remaining samples, the Bug Catcher Pokemon's eyes sparkled and he took a couple of the samples in joy.

Riana let out a small chuckle when she saw this. "You two really do get along well," she said. "How'd you find him?"

"Went out to get some seasonings for my takoyaki when this guy appeared and took a box I had on me out of my hands and gobbled it all up. Then I ran and may have gotten lost in the woods, and next I knew, this guy suddenly appeared again and helped me find my way back here."

"Well, sure does sound like he was rather helpful a lot lately. And for the goods too."

"Especially the goods. I taught him how to make takoyaki, and next I knew, he made twice the amount I usually make in a day! It helps to get some extra hands around here."

"Carnivine!" Carnivine agreed, finishing up the samples.

"Whoops. Looks like we're out of samples for today. So anyway, about the box of takoyakis..." the owner spoke.

"I'll accept the offer. And buy ten more boxes. I can't be the only one with some snacks; I'll share with the royals and my Pokemon," Riana requested.

"Coming right up!"

"Vine!"

"Hey! Stop thief!" the trio heard.

They turned to the source and saw a guy in a purple shirt with a leather jacket over it, black pants and black, silver-lined boots running from a merchant. The guy also had on fingerless gloves, a red rugged scarf, and a cap that seemed familiar to Riana, as well as some food in his hands. As the guy passed the takoyaki stand, Riana noticed a red R on the back of the jacket. Familiar with who he was, or rather who he was associated with, Riana tossed a Pokeball at him.

"Lycanroc! Stop him!" she called out. The ball opened up and her Wolf Pokemon knocked the man down.

Everyone applauded at how easy the trainer and her Pokemon made catching a villain look, as Riana approached the two. "I'll take these back," she spoke.

Because Lycanroc pinned the man's head to the ground, he wasn't able to see exactly who Riana was, not was he able to say anything to stop her from retrieving back the stolen goods, in which she returned to the merchant.

"Well, you certainly can handle yourself," came Saizo's voice.

Riana jumped at the sound of his voice. ' _I did not at all hear him! As expected of a ninja..._ ' she thought.

"Well, yeah," she answered. "Think you can help me get this guy to the castle? I don't know how you guys handle crooks, but I doubt you just let them roam free."

"Yes indeed," he answered. "Now then... shall we?"

* * *

After Saizo knocked the thief out and Riana got her box of takoyakis in exchange for a nugget and a pair of pearls, the two tied the guy up and, with Incineroar's help, got him to the castle. As of this moment, the two, the royal family and their retainers stood in the throne room, with the unconscious man on his knees before Queen Mikoto.

"Should... someone wake him up?" the trainer asked.

"I got it," Hana answered, approaching the guy. Next thing everyone knew, she clapped her hands quite loudly in his ear, shocking him awake.

"Ah!" The first thing he noticed was that he was on his knees in a room, surrounded by people he didn't know. "What the-?! Where am I?!"

"Silence, thief!" Saizo said.

"At ease, Saizo," Ryoma calmly told the male ninja. "Young man. You were seen stealing some food from a salesman earlier. Do you have anything to say to testify against this?"

"Well it's not like the money I have on me will work," the man reasoned. "And all the items I also have are apparently no good to anyone here! Not even to any of the traders here!"

"So in other words you arrived to either this world or this city just recently, didn't you?" Riana asked.

At the sound of her voice, the man turned to her and immediately, his expression changed. "You?"

The tone he used threw the female trainer off. "Me?"

"You!" All of a sudden, he got on his feet and tackled her to the floor, much to the surprise of others. "To think that you're here too! I see Colress's machine really malfunctioned horribly if you were sent here too! Well, that's all the better for me, actually. That means I get to have my revenge on you after what you did!"

Rubbing the part where he tackled her, with Sakura and Hinoka's male retainer healing her, Riana looked at him and asked, "'Revenge'? What are you talking about?"

"Don't you dare play stupid with me! Because of you, Team Rainbow Rocket is gone! Our dreams... our goal! Gone because of you!"

"Wait, wait, wait! What are you talking about?!"

"Shut up! I don't care how many times it takes! I am going to beat you and revive Team Rainbow Rocket!"

With every word coming out of his mouth, Riana just grew more and more confused.

"You sure ruined his life," Hinoka's male retainer said.

"I don't know him before today!" she said.

"He seems to know you," Takumi retorted, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Like I said, I don't know this guy! I've never even heard of Team Rainbow Rocket! I know Team Rocket, but not Rainbow Rocket!"

Each word coming out of her mouth was angering the thief even more. "You still deny it, I see... In that case, a Pokemon Battle! If you really aren't Riana, the champion of the Alolan Region, then prove it to me in a Pokemon Battle!"

Hearing that title shocked the Hoshidans, as they looked at Riana's direction. ' _Champion?!_ '

The girl herself was just getting even more confused. ' _He knows I'm Alola's champion, not that that's much of a surprise. But it's not in a way of a fan or from the news channel,_ ' she thought. ' _It must be that. A former Team Skull member or someone else who either has a heavy grudge against me or a crazy fan of mine used my name and took down his organization. And they must've used a Ditto or a Zoroark to hide their real identity. Although, as much as I want to reason with him, he's right about one thing. Having a Pokemon battle is the fastest way to clear up problems like this. Plus, it's been a while since I last had a battle against a trainer._ ' She glanced at Incineroar and Lycanroc's way. Both nodded with smirks on their faces. Seeing this, Riana smiled back.

"Okay. If it's a Pokemon Battle you want, it's a Pokemon battle you'll get!" she said, shooting back up on her feet.

"Wait a second! We still haven't-!"

"I'll allow it," Queen Mikoto interrupted Saizo. "It'll be interesting to see how this Pokemon battle works."

"I always wanted to see it ever since Riana told me a little about them," Hinoka agreed.

"I've seen her fight Tauros on a daily basis, but I am curious to see how a battle against a fellow trainer is different from one against a wild Pokemon," Ryoma added.

Everyone else agreed and voiced out curiosity about trainer battles. Well, almost everyone.

* * *

Next they knew, everyone was at the training ground. The soldiers all stood by the sidelines while the royal family sat on a pillow with their retainers by their side. Riana and her opponent stood on either side of the field, the latter released from his binds.

"I know they didn't start yet and I'm not involved, but I'm really pumped up about how this battle will go," Hinoka said.

"Same here. I've seen Riana teach our soldiers about Pokemon and how to befriend them, but I've never really seen her fight before," Hana said.

"Though in this battle, it won't really be her who is doing any fighting," Sakura's male retainer, Subaki, reminded.

"I know that!"

"This is ridiculous..." Takumi muttered.

"Don't say that, Prince Takumi. You might learn some things here," Hinata told him. "Mainly how Pokemon fights."

"He's right. And besides, there's a chance Riana will show all her battling secrets. If she really is our enemy, you'll be the first to take him down," Oboro agreed.

While Takumi would like to agree with his retainers, he found it odd how they were agreeing with each other like so. ' _Did they finally decide to get along?_ ' he wondered.

Blue was watching the field intensely, in which Azura noticed. "Are you getting excited for this battle too?" she asked.

"Pop po pop!" he nodded happily.

"I wonder if it's because this is his first time watching a Pokemon Battle and he's a Pokemon himself," Sakura said to Azura.

"If that's true, then as Blue's trainer, I should also pay close attention to this battle," the adopted daughter said, turning her attention to the field. "I heard a little about them from Riana. Through the explanation itself, it sounded brutal and cruel. But, apparently it is a very popular sport where they come from, and Pokemon are smart enough to leave their trainer if they were treated poorly by them."

"If what you say is true, Azura, then I suppose there's only one way to find out," Ryoma told her.

Back to the trainers, the two stared each other down.

"No offense to you, but I'd rather not have this battle take so long. At the same time, a one-on-one may be seen as an insult to you. How does a two-on-two double battle sound?" Riana asked.

"Fine by me!" the guy agreed. "I'll beat you and revive Team Rainbow Rocket, or my name is not Adrian Black!"

Riana sighed, wanting so hard to tell him he got the wrong person, but decided that just saying it wouldn't do much. "In that case... Incineroar! Lycanroc! You two are up!" The two Pokemon stepped onto the field at her order.

"If you're going with them... Midnight! Scar! Time for battle!" Tossing a pair of balls in the air, appearing out of them were a red werewolf-like Pokemon with red eyes and a mix of a mongoose and cat-like Pokemon.

On either side of the werewolf's body below its shoulders were two small rocks resembling claws poking out of its mane and a single, bigger stone projects out of the front of the mane over its head. Three black claws were seen on each paw and it had a stubby tail covered in white fur.

As for the mongoose-cat mix, its body was white, with red forearms, 'M' mark on its chest, and deep red scar-like mark on its left eye to its long red ear. Two claws were on each end of its forepaws and it had a large, fluffy tail.

"Does that red wolf look familiar to anyone else?" Hinoka noticed.

"Doesn't it look similar to Lycanroc?" Kagero asked.

"They do look similar," Oboro also noted.

"A Zangoose and a Midnight Lycanroc. This is going to be interesting. You can take the first move!" Riana told Adrian.

"With pleasure! Scar! Night Slash on Lycanroc! Midnight! Stone Edge on Incineroar!" At his order, the two Pokemon either rushed at their selected opponent or slammed its arm down to call upon some blue, rocky pillars.

"Lycanroc! Catch the attack with Crunch! Incineroar, use Darkest Lariat!" Riana's Pokemon did as told. The Rock-type with catching the Night Slash in his mouth and the Fire/Dark-type spinning rapidly with both arms spread out, ramming through the blue pillars towards Midnight and struck the opposing Rock-type hard.

Some of the Hoshidans winced at the damage done.

"Lycanroc! Toss that Zangoose!" The Midday Lycanroc did as told and threw the Cat Ferret Pokemon to his Midnight Form.

"Scar! Midnight! You both okay?!" Adrian asked his downed Pokemon. Both stood back on their feet, shrugging off the pain that was dealt to them. Though Zangoose was more angry at Lycanroc for the throw.

"It's our turn to attack! Lycanroc, use Accelerock on Midnight! Incineroar, Flamethrower on Scar!" Upon Riana's command, her pair of Pokemon did as ordered. One charging at the opposing Lycanroc at top speed and the other breathing out flames at the Zangoose.

"Midnight! Iron Head! Scar, charge right in those flames!" The Hoshidans were shocked at the second command.

"What is he thinking?! His Pokemon will be burned to ash!" Hinata voiced out their question.

Meanwhile, the Midnight Lycanroc had the stone and mane over its head glow and hardened and met Lycanroc's Accelerock with its called attack, the two pushing each other back for dominance. As for Scar, as ordered, he enthusiastically charged right into the Flamethrower, enduring the attack and making his way right to Incineroar.

"Grab him, Midnight, and use Crunch!" Adrian continued. His Rock-type knew what he meant and grabbed hold of the Midday Lycanroc. Its fangs glowed as it clamped its jaw down on its neck, hard.

"Lycanroc!" Riana cried out in worry.

As for Incineroar, he ceased his Flamethrower in shock when a smirking Scar suddenly got to his face.

"Scar, Revenge!" At the male trainer's orders, Scar was surrounded by an orange aura and he viciously struck the Heel Pokemon with several punches. "Toss them to each other!" The two Pokemon did as told and grabbed their opponents, tossing them to each other and made them collide.

"Incineroar! Lycanroc! Get up, hurry!" Riana called.

"Like we'll give you a chance! Stone Edge!" Midnight slammed its fist down, calling upon more of its pillars.

"Took the words right out of my mouth! Rock Climb and Darkest Lariat!" Finally on their feet, Lycanroc used his called move first, moving in to a pillar that had just emerged and climbed up it and jump to another pillar, repeating the process until he was right above their opponents, while Incineroar did what he did before and broke through the stones. "Accelerock and Flare Blitz!" Lycanroc shot himself down at high speed while Incineroar, after breaking all of the Stone Edge, stopped spinning and cloaked himself in flames, charging at the pair.

"Meet Accelerock with Zen Headbutt and Flare Blitz with Crush Claws and Night Slash!" Once again, the Hoshidans were surprised with the command Adrian gave Scar. For all they knew, Pokemon can use one move at a time and can use up to four moves. For him to call out two moves...

Midnight focused some energy to its head, having it glow blue and clashed with Lycanroc's Accelerock, while Scar's claws glowed, one pair glowing white and the other glowing purple, and met Incineroar's Flare Blitz head on. Both collision caused a small explosion, to the Hoshidan's shock as the retainers did their best to protect the royals from the shockwave, with one of the retainers almost getting blown away herself, had Hinoka not grabbed her and held her down. Riana's Pokemon jumped back to their trainer's side of the field, while Adrian's pair skidded back several feet.

"Whoa! What was that?!" Hana gasped.

"Pokemon's attacks are so strong, they can create explosions when they collide?!" Subaki also gasped.

"I'm growing more and more amazed with them by the second," Reina stated.

"Says you! We should be glad that's the worse thing they can do!" Orochi said to her fellow retainer to the queen. And if only she knew...

Back to the battle, the Pokemon on both sides were panting slightly, and had smiles on their faces, enjoying the battle despite the situation and reason for having it in the first place. Even their trainers had smiles on their faces.

"You're not bad," Riana complimented.

"You're not the same Riana I fought, no doubt," Adrian said. "But you're just as good. Don't think this means I'm stopping the battle here though!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way! Stone Edge!" Lycanroc slammed his paws down to the ground, summoning his own pillars as they headed towards Scar and Midnight.

"We're taking a page out of your book! Break through with Iron Head and Crush Claw!" Both the Midnight Lycanroc and the Zangoose did as ordered and prepared their attacks. The two then charged towards the Stone Edge and broke through each pillars. However, when they got to the other side, for some reason, Incineroar and Lycanroc were missing from Riana's field. "What the-?! Where'd they...?"

"Cross Chop and Rock Climb!" As soon as Riana gave her command, Adrian and his team looked around to see where the attack would come from.

The male trainer found where the attack would come from and quickly warned, "Above you! Get out of there!" Unfortunately for him, he was too late with his warning. Both Incineroar and Lycanroc landed their called moves right on top of Scar and Midnight, respectively. Their attacks were hard enough to force the opposing Pokemon to the ground, creating a pair of small craters where they were.

"Yes! A pair of clean hits!" Hinoka cheered.

"But when did they have time to get into the air?" Takumi asked.

"It was during the Stone Edge," Saizo answered.

"He's right," Ryoma agreed. "When Lycanroc summoned those pillars, both he and Incineroar climbed them for higher ground. Riana didn't just use that attack in hopes of landing a heavy hit; she was prepared for a countermeasure in case if Adrian did what she had done to Midnight's Stone Edge attack. Clever move."

"With a quick mind like that, she'll rival Yukimura in terms of being a great strategist," Reira stated.

"We're not done yet!" Adrian shouted. "Revenge and Iron Head! Get those two off you!" Scar and Midnight gave everything they got in their called attacks. Not only did they succeed in forcing Incineroar and Lycanroc off them, they also got the two Pokemon airborne. "Now to finish this! Stone Edge!" Midnight slammed her arm to the ground and summoned out more pillars once more.

"Incineroar, grab Lycanroc and toss him with Darkest Lariat! Lycanroc, prepare your fastest Accelerock!" Riana ordered. Quickly getting some aerial balance, the Heel Pokemon grabbed his ally by the tail and spun at high speed, as the Stone Edge closed in on them. "Now!" At their trainer's timing, Incineroar released Lycanroc, tossing him straight at the Stone Edge. At least, that was what it seemed, when the Wolf Pokemon narrowly passed the powerful Rock-type move, rocketing down to Midnight and Scar. He struck the latter hard enough to slam him down to the ground again, as the former's attack hit Incineroar.

As the dust cleared, Lycanroc distanced himself from his remaining opponent and Incineroar fell to the ground, and Scar was revealed to have swirls in his eyes, unable to continue any longer. Upon closer inspection to Incineroar's face, he was also seen to be knocked out.

"A double knockout?!" Hana gasped.

"Don't know if this should be called that though," Subaki said.

"But now they're left with one each," Kagero told him.

"Return, Incineroar." Riana called her fainted Pokemon back to his Pokeball. "You did your best. That loss is mostly on me, okay?"

"Scar, return!" Adrian called back his Zangoose to his Pokeball. "You're going to pout about this loss all day, I know you will." Putting the Pokeball away, he turned his attention back to the battle, as did Riana.

' _Still though, to think she made use of Incineroar's Darkest Lariat speed and his sheer strength alone to get her Lycanroc out of the Stone Edge's path and take out one of my Pokemon... She really isn't the same Riana I fought back then,_ ' he thought.

"Looks like we're both down with our Lycanroc," Adrian told her. "Although, Midnight as Iron Head, a move super effective against Rock-types. Your Midday Lycanroc has no chance against her."

"Don't be too sure. They may be the same species, but my Lycanroc is much faster than your's," Riana said. "And besides, the battle's not over... until it's over! Use Crunch!" The Midday Lycanroc charged at his counterpart with glowing fangs.

"Iron Head!" Midnight charged back with the rock above her head glowing.

"Rock Climb!" Before they collided, Riana's Lycanroc grew out his claws and jumped over Adrian's Lycanroc, using her glowing head as a stepping stool. The second he landed behind her, Lycanroc turned around and clamped his jaws on Midnight's arm. The attack caught her by surprised, she let out a yipe and canceled her Iron Head.

"Midnight!" Adrian cried out.

"This is it! Accelerock!" Jaws still clamped on Midnight's arm, Lycanroc ran at full speed towards a boulder nearby. He rammed her into it and released her arm, distancing himself from his opponent. The Midnight Lycanroc fell to the ground, unconscious. "You did it, Lycanroc!" Riana cheered, calling the end of the battle.

"Rowoo!" Lycanroc also cheered as he rushed to his trainer's side and knocked her down, happily rubbing the rocks on his mane against her.

"Ow! Hey! I know you're happy! Come on, you know that hurts!" Despite those cries, Riana didn't truly care, since this was the first trainer battle they had in a very long while. And against a powerful trainer at that.

Meanwhile, the Hoshidans watching from the sidelines all spoke amongst themselves about the battle. Many soldiers were impressed with how epic it was. Some stated that they were feeling a rush even though they weren't doing the fighting.

"That was awesome! No, more than awesome. It was intense!" Hinoka exclaimed.

"Of course, you'd find it that way, Princess Hinoka," Azama said.

"What's that suppose to mean, Azama?"

"Now, now, Hinoka. Let's not do something we will regret," Ryoma calmed her. "You were right about one thing; it truly was a well fought battle."

"Well... I guess it was okay," Takumi simply said, with Saizo nodding in agreement.

Both Oboro and Hinata, however, knew Takumi actually liked the battle, a lot. The first step to getting him to open up to all Pokemon and Riana.

' _That battle... gave me some ideas for a new set of art,_ ' Kagero thought.

Orochi, being her best friend, noticed the look on the female ninja's face and simply smirked, knowing Kagero was going to make some new art for a while during her free time.

"I kind of enjoyed it," Sakura admitted.

Hearing that shocked her retainers. "Wait! You liked watching that?!" Hana asked.

"I-It's not that I like it. It's just... I couldn't help but be on the edge of my seat and felt a rush coming along..."

"Po pop! Popplio!" Blue cheered happily, clapping his flippers together.

"I think the one who enjoyed it the most is Blue," Azura said. She then asked her Popplio, "Did you like it that much?"

"Po pop!" he nodded.

"It certainly was thrilling," Reina stated. "What do you think, Your Majesty?"

While Mikoto also found that Pokemon Battle exciting, she had a different thought in mind. One that involved one of her children. In fact, it had been on her mind for a while now. And thanks to this, she had come to a decision.

Riana approached Adrian, who sat cross-legged after returning Midnight to her Pokeball.

"You're not the same Riana I fought that time. That I admit. But you're just as strong as her," he said.

"Heh. Coming from you, I think I'll take that as a compliment," the Alolan champion said.

"Yeah, whatever. So, you beat me. Now what? You guys were talking about my punishment before I went and demanded a battle."

"That... You'll have to ask the queen." Riana turned to Mikoto when she said that. The ruler of Hoshido got up from her spot and approached the two.

"Riana and... Adrian, was it? That Pokemon battle... was quite a magnificent sight to see," she began. "I see now why it is such a popular sport when you both come from. It is not only in the thrill of the battle, but the bonds you have with your Pokemon. The amount of trust you have in each other was unlike any I've ever seen. The simplest of commands you gave out, your Pokemon performed them remarkably, as though reading your minds. Though you gave orders that may result in their defeat, your Pokemon still performed their duties without any regrets. And despite the defeat, you showed no signs of anger or disappointment towards your partner, which tells me you both are wonderful people."

Riana rubbed the back of her head and looked away in embarrassment while Adrian seemed taken aback by the compliment, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment with a small grin on his face.

"That is why... I have a little proposition for you two. Adrian, this also counts as your punishment for stealing," Mikoto continued, getting their attention. "I would like the two of you to be Azura's retainers."

It was silent when she said that last part. No one dared move or say a sound, shocked with what the queen had asked of the two trainers.

"Wait, Queen Mikoto!" Azura spoke up. "There's no need to give me any retainers or force them to do so."

"Nonsense, Azura," Mikoto disagreed. "Adopted or not, you're also my daughter. And you're the only one who is without a retainer. I don't find that fair, especially since the many candidates refused to be by your side because of Blue and where you're from, or attempted to kill you because of where you're from. Out of everyone who isn't a part of this family, Riana is the only person who was willing to be around you."

As she said that, Riana realized that Azura was the only Hoshidan royal without at least one retainer. Not only that, no one in the palace, outside the family, spared even a minute with Azura, nor had they ever wondered where she was when she wasn't in the palace.

"And as I said, this will also be Adrian's punishment for attempting to steal earlier. Spending the rest of his life, or at least his time here in our world, watching over my child seems reasonable enough of a punishment."

"Define 'reasonable'!" Adrian thought otherwise. "Why do I have to be a bodyguard for someone I don't know?! In fact, why do I have to lower myself to being a bodyguard?! You're asking too much for such a small misdeed!"

"Really? I think it is the lightest punishment I can think of. I can't just give you a simple slap on the wrist and let you roam free. Also, if you had to resort to stealing to survive, not just for yourself, but also for your Pokemon friends, wouldn't the life of a retainer be easier? You wouldn't have to worry about going hungry, and you'll have a roof over your head. In exchange, I ask that you protect my daughter from harm in any way you can. Not only that, but now that we know there's one other trainer here, I'd rather you do not cause trouble for Riana. After what she had done for us, it'll be worrisome if there are rumors about a criminal Pokemon trainer."

When she put all of those out there, Adrian found less and less reason to argue with the queen. He may be a Team Rainbow Rocket admin, and he may had worked for the Team Rocket criminal organization itself, but he'd rather not cause his Pokemon trouble for his sake, especially not in a world where, from the looks of it, it was normal for people to carry weapons around. Besides that, when he turned to the person he was to be a retainer for, he couldn't help but feel a slight sense of familiarity for some reason. Clicking his tongue, he reluctantly said, "Fine. Whatever. But don't expect me to be on my 'best behavior'."

Mikoto didn't seem to mind that small condition. "Of course. And Riana? Do you accept?"

"Hmm... I want to say yes, but I still have to worry about how I can go back home and... And one other thing about the Pokemon..." she answered honestly.

Hearing this, Azura couldn't help but feel a bit sad. Deep down, she may have hoped Riana would accept, so she would still have her friend by her side.

"Would you accept if I offer some assistance of sort?" Mikoto asked. "I can have some ninjas search around for any sort of abnormalities that may be clues to help send you home or why Pokemon of your world are appearing in our world. It'll be faster and more convenient than having to search by yourself."

Hearing that offer, Riana looked up at the queen again. "Really? You'll do that?"

"Of course. As the queen of Hoshido, it is my duty to help my people and our guests. You are no exception."

A smile formed on Riana's face as she happily accepted the job offer. "Okay then, I'll do it! Thank you so much, Your Majesty!"


	8. In the Nohrian Kingdom

**It is here at last~ This chapter, probably the most special one of them all in this story~ THE START! OF! THE! CANON! For those of you who were wondering about when this specific chapter will be up, you got your wish! I had this planned out since I started working on last chapter, but you got that wish! The canon story... starts... HEEEEERE! We will now see what is going on in Corrin's side of the story! Her and her Rockruff, Rocky! How had things changed compared to the original now that our favorite Rock-type puppy is here? Let's find out!**

 **Oh! And uh... ah ha ha... As I was doing this chapter, I myself had forgotten one 'little' thing about this story and was close to keep this chapter as it was before realizing that. That being said, I do not blame anyone if they also forget that little piece of information.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Fire Emblem of any kind for either of them. I do, however, own my OC. Adrian is owned by Antex- The Legendary Zoroark.**

* * *

It was a dark day in Nohr, as it usually was. Though it was night out, in truth it was really morning. At it was at this time, on this very important day, a certain someone in a certain fortress was sleeping in.

"Time to wake up, Lady Corrin!" the sleeping person heard.

Slowly opening her eyes, the first thing Corrin saw was one of her maids, Flora, looking down at her.

"Hey, wake up, Lady Corrin! Up and at 'em!" another maid, Felicia, called, suddenly getting to Corrin's face.

Somewhat awake, Corrin sat up on her bed.

"Hmmm... What are you talking about? It's still dark outside," she asked.

"Listen well, Princess. It may be dark, but it is indeed in morning," said an elderly knight, Gunter. "You have practice today."

"I have taken the liberty of readying your armor, and, er, pounding out the dents," Jakob, her butler, informed. "Your brother is a fearsome opponent, is he not?"

Corrin groaned at the reminder of both her training and her older brother's strength. "Ugh... Fine. I'm still not completely awake though..."

"Oh, we can help you with that!" Flora told her. "Felicia, would you please assist me?"

"Sure thing!" her younger twin nodded.

Both maids touched Corrin's face and used a 'bit' of ice magic on her.

Taken aback by the frost, Corrin jumped to her feet. "Waauugh! Cold cold cold! I'm awake! Totally awake now!"

"That's how we deal with slugabeds in the Ice Tribe!" Flora informed/reminded.

Corrin sighed at her words. "Trust me, I know. I wish I could have finished the dream I was having though..."

Jakob was curious when she said that. "Interesting. Do tell, what kind of dream was it?" he asked.

"It was... strange. Some people who look like Hoshidans kept calling me their sister. But all of my brothers and sisters are here in Nohr..."

Flora looked at the time on the clock and noticed how late it was getting. "Ah, Lady Corrin. Perhaps we should talk about your dream another time?"

"It's time for you to get going, milady. Prince Xander is waiting for you!" Felicia told her, also noticing the time.

"I suppose I don't have much of a choice," the princess sighed in defeat. "Come on, Rocky. Time to go." As she said that and looked around the room, Corrin had just realized something. "Wait. Where's Rocky?"

Rocky was a small puppy that Corrin, Jakob, Felicia and Flora found as an egg. Well, it was Corrin who found him. Rather, Rocky, as an egg, just appeared in her room one day after she made a wish upon a shooting star. And since then, Corrin and Rocky were inseparable.

"That little pup already went on ahead," Gunter informed.

"What?! Without me?!" the princess questioned.

"Your brother... may have bribed him with some beef jerkies," Jakob explained. "Honestly, after all these years, you'd think he'd grow into a fully adult dog by now. How in the world can he still a puppy?"

That was indeed a great mystery for them and the royal family when they found that Rocky had not grown much during the first year, but majority stopped caring about it, especially the females; they found Rocky too cute to grow up and would rather he stayed as a puppy for all eternity. Corrin's big sister specifically said she'd rather Rocky stay as a puppy at one point.

"In any case, you really should be going now," Gunter told Corrin.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the rooftop stood Leo and Xander, the latter on a horse with a wooden sword in his hand. Standing before Xander was Rocky, panting in exhaustion, wearing a light blue scarf around his neck.

"Come on, now, Rocky. You may be special and a tough puppy, but there's only so much you can do alone with just that!" Xander told him. "You can't protect my sister if you get tired out that easily."

The pup growled in response, as if saying he knew what Xander meant.

The special thing the man spoke of, besides his lack of growth, would be the fact that he can emit flames from his mouth. He can't breathe out flames like a dragon or a wyvern would, and no one has ever heard of a dog that can use magic. Regardless, Rocky was the most special dog Nohr has ever seen, and their possible secret and greatest weapon to end the war with Hoshido.

"Leo! Xander! What are you doing to Rocky?!" came Corrin's voice.

Hearing his master and best friend's awakened voice ceased caught all of the pup's attention, as he rushed over to Corrin. Once he jumped into her arms, Rocky gave her the daily loves and kisses.

"Ow! Good morning to you too, Rocky!" the princess said, dealing with the painful cuddles she had gotten used to. Getting her attention back to the matter at hand, she once again asked, "What were you two doing to Rocky?"

The two sighed, knowing how this will end, since this wasn't the first time it had happened. "Just helping the pup train, of course," Xander answered.

"Train him?! What for?!"

"To protect you. He may be a dog, but we all know he's more than just any dog. And even if it isn't to protect you, then to protect himself. We don't want another of that incident to happen again."

The incident he referred to was the one from eight years ago, on Corrin's birthday. Long story short... Rocky almost died protecting her that day. Since then, she tried to prevent Rocky from getting involved in anything dangerous, in fear that the next time Rocky would fight for her sake, he would actually and truly die. In fact it was because of that day that she took up a sword. But, with some convincing from her siblings, namely her older sister Camilla, she reluctantly agreed to giving Rocky some training as well.

"I know..." the princess spoke at last, holding her pup at arm's distance. "I guess I'm still scared of that time."

"Corrin, we train so we can defend ourselves from our enemies. Besides, Father has been tracking both your and Rocky's progress. If neither of you can land a hit on me today... he may never permit you to leave the Northern Fortress. Ever," Xander informed.

As much as Corrin was scared of Rocky dying on her if were to fight, she can't bear the thought of being held captive in the fortress for all eternity even more. "What?! D-Did he really say that? That's insane!" she exclaimed.

"Motivated, aren't we? Then use that fire with Rocky to best me in battle, little Princess. If you would see the outside world beyond the view from your window, defeat me. Prove that all of the time I've devoted to training you had not be in vain!"

And so, Corrin unsheathed a sword she brought with her and, with Rocky aiding her, did her best to beat her brother. As they fought, the princess and her Pokemon had sustained some injuries, which were healed by a Dragon Vein that Xander activated. With their strength recovered, both Corrin and Rocky defeated Xander.

"Well done, Corrin," he commented. "You're getting stronger everyday. Same with Rocky."

"Ro ruff!" Rocky happily barked.

"Thanks, Xander. We couldn't have done it without your, uh, tough love," Corrin said.

"I disagree. I believe you have natural talent. Some day, you could be the greatest warrior in all of Nohr. And Rocky will be the first canine warrior and your greatest partner," Xander told her.

"Now you're just teasing us."

"You know me, Corrin. I never joke about serious matters. I mean what I say. You both could be the ones to bring light to our kingdom so long shrouded in darkness." Corrin was touched by her older brother's kind words.

"Typical," Leo disagreed. "You know that true strength is more than simple swordplay, right?"

"Leo, he didn't mean-"

"Calm yourself, little brother," Xander interrupted Corrin. "You really are competitive to a fault. As I've always said, you're a talented mage with formidable magical abilities. Plus, let's not forget that Rocky's primary strength is not in a blade."

"Roroo," the pup pouted in agreement.

"Hmm... Well, just remember that pointy metal sticks are not the only path to power," Leo said.

"Oh, that reminds me of something I've been meaning to tell you, Leo," Corrin realized.

"Something important enough to derail this conversation?"

"Well... Your collar is inside out."

"What?!" If there was one thing Leo was embarrass about more than anything, it'd be his inability to put on his clothes completely right.

"It would appear someone got dressed while still half-asleep," Xander mused.

"Ugh! Wh-why didn't you say something earlier?!" Leo questioned his brother, rushing to get his collar on right.

"Haha, sorry, Leo. But that sort of thing is what makes you so lovable."

"Absolutely," Corrin agreed.

Leo huffed, finally having his collar on the right way. Just as he did, a woman and a little girl approached the group.

"Corrin. Are you and Rocky all right? Did either of you get hurt at all during practice? If you did, let me know right away so I can take extra-special care of you," the woman, Corrin's older sister, Camilla, offered.

"We're perfectly fine, Camilla. As always, thanks for your concern," Corrin declined. She didn't want to tell her this, but Corrin felt her sister's extra love was unnecessary. When she was a child, maybe it was okay. But now? Corrin was a teenager. She did not need to be smothered like this any longer. Of course, if she told Camilla that... she'd rather not imagine what would happen if she did.

"I was worried about the two of you too, Corrin!" the little girl, Corrin's younger sister, Elise, said.

"We know, Elise. You wouldn't visit us all the time if you didn't care so much, right?" Corrin told her.

"Heehee... Do you like it when I visit?"

"Of course! I'm not allowed to leave this fortress, so visits are all I look forward to!"

"Ruff ruff!" Rocky agreed.

Those made Elise very happy. "Yaaay! I'm glad to hear that. Spending time with my sister and our puppy makes me so happy!" Next thing they knew, Elise jumped and caught Corrin in a hug, causing her to spin in surprise. "I love you so much! I love you more than anything in the whole, wide world!"

Hearing that made Rocky sad as he whimpered out, "Roo?"

"And I love Rocky just as much!" she quickly added, switching her hugs to the pup, who gave her some cuddles in return.

Leo didn't find this action amusing. "Elise, when do you intend to behave like the adult that you technically are?" he asked.

"Who wants a biscuit? Do you want a biscuit, Rocky~?" Elise asked the dog, holding up a cracker as Rocky stood on his hind legs, begging for the goods.

"Are you listening to me?!"

Camilla giggled at the action. "Well, I for one think her heer is a good complement to this gloomy kingdom, Leo," she told him.

"Well said, Camilla," Corrin agreed. "Every one of you is so dear to me. You've all been so patient and kind since I lost my memory... I don't mind being quarantined when I'm with you. I'm so grateful to have you all."

"We are grateful to have you as well," Xander said. "But, Corrin, I have some-"

"Let me tell her, Xander!" Camilla happily interrupted. "We have wonderful news, Corrin! Father asked us to take you back to the capital!"

Hearing this shocked Corrin. "Really?! Does that mean...?"

"Yes. It means you can finally leave this drafty fortress. You must have been so lonely all this time, separated from the rest of the world... But now you'll be free! And you get to bring Rocky with you, too!"

"Isn't that wonderful?!" Elise asked, holding Rocky in her arms.

"It... It really is," Corrin answered. "Thanks, Elise. Wow... I'm finally leaving this place... Maybe now I can join you all as a soldier, fighting for Nohr?"

"There will be plenty of time to discuss the details with Father. Let us depart," Xander told her.

* * *

After meeting up with Lilith, the stable girl, to get their horses, Corrin and Rocky were bidding farewell to Flora and Felicia, who were to remain in the fortress while Gunter, Jakob and Lilith were going with the siblings to the capital. The good-byes were especially hard for Felicia, who tried so hard not to hug Rocky and beg the princess to let the pup stay with the twins. Thankfully, Flora was able to hold her twin back from doing something she may regret.

Soon enough, the group made it to the castle. Dark and foreboding it may be, it was still a sight to behold. Corrin and Rocky couldn't help but be in awe at the sight.

Elise giggled at the reaction. "You really like it, don't you?" she asked.

Xander had a soft smile on his face. "Welcome home."

Those two words were enough to bring tears to Corrin's eyes. She couldn't believe that, after all these years, she was finally here. And the best part? She got to share this moment with her best friend. Said friend was looking around the whole area, wagging his tail like crazy at all the new sight.

Next thing both knew, they stood right before Corrin's father, King Garon. Usually, Rocky would go crazy when meeting someone new, no matter the staatus, and happily greet them. But thanks to the many lessons he took on manners, the pup didn't do such a thing. But what no one knew... was that Rocky wasn't staying still in good manners or respect; there was something about Garon that made the canine feel what he had never felt before, not even when he almost died to save his master years ago; fear.

"I see you've made it here safely, Corrin," Garon greeted.

"Yes, Father," Corrin answered with a smile. "Long have I wished to see you and visit Castle Krakenburg again. I feel like I'm dreaming..."

Garon turned his attention to the only animal in the room. "And I see this is the rumored dog I've been hearing from your siblings."

"Yes. His name is Rocky."

The king stared intently at the pup. If looks could kill, the frightened dog would be on his side, dead. However, scared as he may be, Rocky was not one to back down from a fight, especially if it was for Corrin's sake. So he stood as tall as he could with as much determination as he could muster to hide his fear. Unfortunately, it didn't help his trembling in fear.

"Seems like quite the dog, indeed," Garon said, slightly impressed with the brave act Rocky was doing. "For him to catch Xander's attention is something. And I've also heard that he's been training alongside you, and both of your have trained exceptionally well. It is fair that you would be out of the fortress at last, and that I get to meet what may soon be a legend amongst the Nohrian army."

"But, Father, will Rocky and Corrin be all right outside of the fortress?" Elise asked.

"I worry about that as well. Isn't it dangerous for Corrin to live outside the fortress's magical barrier?" Camilla also asked.

"I appreciate your concern, but I earned my way here and I'm ready to fight," Corrin assured. "And besides, Rocky had trained just as hard as I have. And he had his own share of fights himself."

Garon nodded in acknowledgement to Corrin's proimse. "Corrin, as you know, Nohr is at war with the eastern kingdom of Hoshido."

"Yes, Father. I have heard as much."

"And what of the new enemy that has suddenly appeared in our kingdom and Hoshido?"

The princess raised a brow at the question and glanced over at her siblings. All had on the same face when that was mentioned; they completely forgot to tell her about it.

"I see you weren't told yet," Garon noticed. "Some time ago, strange creatures were seen all over Nohr and Hoshido. A soldier reported several bandits trying to hunt some animal-looking creatures down, but were instead put to near-death experiences. Furthermore, the soldier also reported that these strange creatures can use something that seemed quite similar to magic." Corrin couldn't help but widen her eyes in shock at the news. "It seems Hoshido also encountered a similar problem with these creatures. And while I wish to see them as allies, I already had some men go and have some join our cause. However, of the eight I sent, only one managed to escape and lived long enough to warn us that these creatures are just as dangerous as Hoshido. Maybe even more so."

Corrin looked down, wondering if that meant she'd have to fight against something deadly so early. Sure she was ready to lay down her life for Nohr, but she had hoped to enjoy the outside world just a little longer before she would be sent on a suicide mission.

"However, thankfully our tactician, who is not here at the moment, found a loophole to our situation," Garon continued, snapping Corrin out of her conflicted thoughts. "Apparently, not only did magical creatures suddenly appear here, people from where these creatures come from were also seen appearing in Nohr. And these people were quite kind enough to leave some of their creatures, these 'Pokemon' as they call them, here with us and left to their home world. It took some convincing and persuasion, but thanks to their generosity, Nohr now has the power to fight back Hoshido and the Pokemon that side with them."

Hearing this, a smile formed on Corrin's face, grateful that there were people from the place these Pokemon came from were so generous as to leave some Pokemon with them to fight with. If only the naive princess knew the truth though...

"We of the royal family are descendants of the ancient gods, the First Dragons. As inheritors of that divine strength, we conquer those who oppose us with ease. One who learns to wield that power can destroy an entire army of common troops. And now with the Pokemon aiding us, we now have the power that may match the First Dragons. Xander, Camilla, and Leo have already shown that they possess this power and worthy enough to hold some Pokemon in their arsenal. I expect no less from you. And considering the rumors that I've heard about Rocky, I hope he, too, reaches my expectations. Especially after I was kind enough to let him into this family."

"Rocky and I are aware of your expectations, Father," Corrin said. "And we have trained every day to become more like my siblings. And now that I've heard of these Pokemon creatures, I hope that I will soon be seen as worthy to wield one of them as well." Again, Corrin, if only you knew.

Garon stared into Corrin and Rocky's eyes. "Hmm... You show promise. But you will need a suitable weapon in order to serve Nohr. And as my child, whose strength is said to be almost on par with Xander's, it is only fair, that you also have a Pokemon at your command." At the snap of his fingers, a guard came into the room, presenting Corrin a small green and black ball. "I know not how these things work, but apparently they keep these Pokemon creatures contained. No matter how powerful. Use it well."

The princess happily accepted the gift. "I will! Thank you, father!"

He simply nodded at her thanks. "And now... your weapon..."

With a slight wave of his hand, a dark cloud appeared before Corrin. From the cloud was a curved, black sword, coated in miasma. Corrin was in awe at the sight of the weapon presented to her.

"This is Ganglari," he said. "A sword infused with magic from another world. With this sword at your side, you will crush the Hoshidan army with ease."

As he spoke, no one seemed to notice Rocky growling at the blade before his master, not at all trusting it one bit.

"Thank you for this generous gift, father," Corrin said.

"Hmm... Generous indeed," Xander said, just now noticing Rocky's actions towards Ganglari.

"Now, let us see you put that sword to its proper use... Bring out the prisoners!" At Garon's order, one of the Nohrian guards went to get their prisoners.

Seconds later, several people were pushed into the room.

"These are prisoners from our most recent skimish with Hoshido. I want to see your power with my own eyes. Use that sword to strike them down," Garon ordered.

With a nod, Corrin stepped toward as the prisoners were given weapons to even out the battle.

"I shall join you, milady," Gunter insisted, joining her on his horse. "My lance arm is perhaps rusty but still serviceable. Jakob, will you join us well?"

"Naturally," the butler answered. "I couldn't allow someone of your advanced years to bear the burden alone. Lady Corrin, there is no need for you to soil your hands with this filth. Please relax and leave the fighting to us. Afterward, I will prepare you some tea."

As though hearing the insult, the lone tanned, female of the group shouted, "I am Rinkah! Daughter of the Flame Tribe's honorable chieftain. What is your name, Nohrian princess?"

"I'm Corrin," the Nohrian princess answered the call.

The green-haired ninja widened his eyes at the name. "Corrin? Can it be?" His eyes then trailed to Rocky by her side. "Is that...? No, it couldn't be..."

Corrin raised a brow as she overheard his muttering. "Huh? Have you heard of me? And... do you know something about Rocky?"

Rather than answering, he said, "I am Kaze, a ninja of Hoshido. Show me what you can do."

"Kill them all!" At Garon's demanding order, everyone took their battle stances.

At the start of the battle, Corrin noticed a Dragon Vein nearby and used the power of the dragon blood within her to move the debris away, revealing a healing zone. Her group took advantage of the zone and kept themselves healed while dealing with the enemy. When Kaze and Rinkah were the only ones remaining, the ninja grimaced at the situation.

"It seems I really don't have much of a choice..." he muttered, reaching into his scarf.

Garon and Corrin's siblings noticed this action.

"What is he doing?" Elise asked.

"It can't be a secret weapon. Our guards confiscated their weapons and gave them simple, brass weapons," Leo said.

"Unless if either we have a new guard who doesn't know how to thoroughly check the prisoners or one of our old guards was overconfident and assumed that there were no hidden weapons on him," Camilla added.

Kaze took out a small ball from his scarf, somewhat similar to Corrin's, only white and red. Tapping a button on it, he enlarged the ball. "Please assist me, Ninjask!" He tossed the ball into the air, which opened up and, to the Nohrian's shock, a small, black and yellow cicada-like creature with grey insectoid arms and legs and large veined wings with triangular red tippings appeared from it.

"A Pokemon?!" Garon gasped, shooting up from his seat. His children, on the other hand, all looked on with their jaws dropped.

They weren't the only ones surprised; Corrin and her team were just as surprised at the sight before them, specifically about how a these Pokeballs really can hold a Pokemon bigger than it.

"Ninjask, use Double Team!" Kaze ordered. The cicada-like Pokemon, Ninjask, did as told and, as it flew around the area, made clones of itself, increasing the Nohrians' shock and surprise. Next thing they knew, the Pokemon and its clones surrounded Corrin and her team in what seemed like a dome. "Forgive me for this. Use Screech!" At his order, the many Ninjask let out an earsplitting screech, causing Corrin, Rocky, Jakob, and Gunter to cover their ears and let out screams in pain.

"Corrin!" Camilla was prepared to rush down there and assist her sister when...

"Stay!" Garon ordered.

The oldest female child looked at him in shock. "But father! If nothing is done, Corrin could..."

"She swore to serve and fight for Nohr. If this is where she meets her end, then so be it."

None of the siblings could believe what the king had said. He was practically telling them to let Corrin die.

Meanwhile, in the dome, Rocky opened one eye and saw how much pain his friends were in, especially Corrin. For some reason, the Screech attack was inflicting more pain on her, as she lied on her side and clutched her ears, screaming painfully. Seeing this made Rocky mad as he slowly removed his paws from his ears, enduring the pain as he stood on his feet. Rather than randomly charging at one of the Ninjask, though, he tried to concentrate some energy within him. Not for his fiery fangs, but for something else. That something was making the rocks on his necks glow. Slowly, a small, multi-colored orb appeared on his tail, which slowly grew in size.

While this was going on, Kaze said to Rinkah, "Now's our chance to escape."

"You did not just suggest that we run," the muscular girl said, not going with the plan.

"It's either that or we die here. I may be ready to lay down my life for Hoshido, but I refuse to let my friend take the same fall. Especially not here! And if you really are the daughter to the Flame Tribe's chief, should it not be your duty to return to your tribe as future chief?"

Before Rinkah can say anything in response, a howl of some sort was heard, as rocks were suddenly shot from within the dome of Ninjasks, taking out the clones and knocked the original back to Kaze and Rinkah.

"Ninjask!" the ninja called in worry.

On Corrin's side, the girl was relieved to no longer hear such horrifying sound and lowered her hands from her ears.

"Are... are we saved...?" she asked a bit loudly.

"I... believe so," Jakob answered.

"But how...?" Gunter asked.

A growl was heard and the three turned and saw Rocky glaring and growling at Ninjask. The Ninja Pokemon weakly got back up.

"What just happened?!" Elise asked.

"Rocks were fired and hit those cicadas," Leo answered.

"I know that! What I mean is how!"

"Elise is right. Look at the ground around Corrin and her team. There's no sign of cracks or missing pieces," Xander said.

"Whatever it is, something tells me that, overall, Rocky was the one who stopped that Pokemon from tormenting Corrin any further," Camilla said.

Garon agreed with that assumption, as he stared at the growling, little dog.

' _I don't know what happened, but Ninjask can't take another one of that hit,_ ' Kaze thought.

"Ninjask! Get out of here! Far away from here!" he ordered. Everyone looked at him with puzzled expressions. "You're the only one who's able to escape! Now go! Fly back to Hoshido! You cannot be caught by Nohr!" He tossed Ninjask the ball he came from.

The Pokemon looked down at it and back to his partner in hesitation.

"Don't think! Just go! NOW!"

At his last shout, Ninjask flew off as fast as he could. And it was very fast!

"Stop that Pokemon!" Garon ordered. As soon as he shouted that, Leo took out his tome and prepared to use magic to shoot it down.

"Double Team!" Just as Leo casted his magic, at Kaze's last order, Ninjask created clones of himself. When the magic struck where the original was, it turns out, a clone took his place. As a result, the Ninja Pokemon successfully escaped.

Watching the Ninja Pokemon get out of his sight answered Garon. "What are you waiting for, Corrin?! Finish them!" he ordered.

Taken by surprised and frightened by the tone her father used, Corrin nodded and, with her allies, finished the fight against Kaze and Rinkah.

"Phew! They're really tough, aren't they?" the princess sighed in relief. "I hope all Hoshidans aren't this strong. With or without Pokemon."

"Don't just stand there, idiot girl! Finish them!" Garon demanded.

Corrin was bewildered by the demand. "But father... they're beaten. You want me to execute helpless prisoners?"

"You dare question me?! I order you to kill them! NOW!"

"No! It's wrong!"

Seeing that talk was meaningless, Garon took matters in his own hands. "I won't argue the point any further." A rune appeared around him, and a blast of fire was shot towards the Hoshidans.

Corrin reacted fast enough to block the strike in time, much to her siblings' shock.

"Corrin! What are you-?!" Elise shouted.

"Unbelievable..." Xander gasped out.

"You would defy me directly, Corrin?!" Garon roared.

"Father, please forgive her!" Xander quickly pleaded. "She doesn't yet understand our situation..."

"Fine, Xander. You kill them. And if anyone gets in your way, kill them too." Xander hesitated, for that also meant killing Corrin himself. "DO IT! KILL THEM ALL!" The oldest sibling closed his eyes and unwillingly approached his sister.

"Stand down, Corrin. If you don't I will be forced to-"

Corrin cut him off. "No, Xander. I won't let you do this!"

"Why do you refuse, Corrin? You know the Hoshidans are our sworn enemies," he tried to reason.

"I know, but... this is different. These people can't fight anymore. Why not show mercy?" she retorted.

As if agreeing with her, Rocky jumped on Xander and bit his arm, causing him to let out a small cry in shock. "Wha-?! Rocky! You as well?!" The pup was snarling as he kept his grip.

"Please, Corrin, Rocky. Don't fight him... My dear, sweet Corrin and cute, adorable Rocky..." Camilla pleaded, unwilling to watch this fight go any further.

"No no no! Leo, what should we do?!" Elise asked in a panicked tone.

Unlike his worried sisters, the young prince had a hand on his head. "Why does this fall to me?" he asked himself. He then casted a spell with the tome still in his hand, and trees suddenly sprouted out of the ground, knocking Rinkah and Kaze out. "Father, I have dispatched out enemies on behalf of my softhearted sister. I only ask that you would be merciful in your punishment for her," he told the king.

"Enough! I will consider this matter later..." With those words, Garon walked away.

As soon as he was out of sight, Corrin approached her little brother. "Leo! How could you?! They were beaten! There was no reason to execute them!" she shouted.

"Agreed. Now hush," he said in response.

At first those words confused the girl, until she realized what he had really done. "Leo... Did you-?"

"Enough, both of you. The battle is over," Xander said, finally managing to get Rocky off his arm and holding the struggling dog by the scruff of his neck, as he and the sisters approached them. "Mark my words, Corrin... One day, an act of kindness may be the death of you."

"Perhaps. But if I'm kind, I will die without regrets," Corrin firmly said. "Rocky, you can stop that now. It's okay. But thanks anyway."

At her words, the pup ceased struggling and somehow jumped into Corrin's arms, giving her the usual cuddles with the princess giggling and letting out small cries of pain.

The stern look on his face turned into a smile. "Well said. Guards! I would like to examine the prisoners' belongings. Bring their remains to my quarters."

"Leo, your spell..." Corrin whispered to her mage sibling.

"Was only enough to weaken them, yes," he confirmed. "I should have followed father's orders, but Camilla and Elise always make such a fuss when I do anything to upset you."

"Thank you, Leo. I'm sorry for teasing you about your collar."

That 'apology' only annoyed the boy. "You can repay me by not mentioning it again."

"That was great brother!" Elise cheered.

"It was. But I doubt this will be the last we hear of this," Camilla said. "Father never forgets a slight."

* * *

Later that day, or night, Corrin and Xander stood outside the castle walls with the recovered Kaze and Rinkah standing before them.

"Listen well. It is only my sister's kind heart that has brought your freedom," Xander told them. "Disappear now, lest you be spotted by our king."

Without another word, Kaze literally disappeared. Rinkah, on the other hand, remained.

"Tch. I am not a hostage to be freed," she said. "You said your name is Corrin? When next we meet, I will make you pay for this humiliation!"

"I was hoping the next time we met, it could be as friends," Corrin said.

Hearing those naive words slightly annoyed Rinkah. "Softhearted fool! I am a Hoshidan warrior! You do not understand what you suggest."

"I understand that right now Hoshido and Nohr are at war. But I am trying to plan ahead for the day the war is over and we can live in peace."

Rinkah got to Corrin's face, inspecting the surprised princess. "I've heard rumors of a sheltered Nohrian princess who knows nothing of the world. I see those rumors are true." Giving her space, she added, "If we do meet again, the world will have no doubt taught you the error of your ways." With that, she also took her leave.

* * *

After seeing Rinkah and Kaze off, Corrin, with Elise and Rocky by her side, stood outside the inner gate of the castle.

"All right, Corrin. Let's go in there together," the little girl said. "I'll help as much as possible. This is our father we're talking about. He has to forgive you, right?"

"Thanks, Elise. I hope you're right," Corrin thanked. To Rocky, she then said, "And you. I hope you be nice to him. I know he seems scary, but he's not that bad."

The pup looked down, pondering her words. He then looked up with a determined look and nodded.

"That's a good boy." Corrin petted him on the head. "If this goes well, remind me to get you some meat. On a bone." The thought of the treat made Rocky drool slightly.

"All right. Deep breath, and..." Elise trailed off as she inhaled and exhaled some air. "Here we go. Father! We have something we need to talk to you about!"

Instead of any normal response like 'enter', 'in a moment', or even 'do not bother me', they heard laughter from within. "Gah hah ha!"

"Father?" Corrin spoke in a questioned tone.

"It sounds like he's with someone," Elise said. "Maybe we should come back later."

As though overhearing their little conversation, Garon called, "Who's there?"

The sudden question caught the girls by surprise. "Oh! Sorry to bother you, father..."

"Yes, we apologize if this isn't a good time," Corrin said.

"What do you two want?" the king asked.

"Father, we're here to apologize. Right, Corrin?" Elise answered.

"Yes, that's right. I'm sorry for questioning you," Corrin said.

After a bit of silence, they heard their father giving them permission to enter, in which they did.

"Corrin... You disobeyed a direct order from me. Ordinarily, you would not still be alive," Garon spoke.

"I understand," Corrin replied.

Fearing things are already taking a turn for the worse, Elise said, "No! Father, I can explain-"

"Silence!" Garon interrupted her. "As you are my child, Corrin, I will grant you some leeway. I have something in mind for you. A mission. If you complete this task successfully I will pardon your crime in full."

Surprised and eager to take this second chance to redeem herself, Corrin asked, "Really?! What sort of mission?"

"There is an abandoned fortress perched on the Hoshidan border. I wish to know if the building there remains serviceable. Both you and your dog are to travel to the site and inspect the premises. No battle will be required. Do you understand? I won't tolerate being disappointed twice."

"Yes, father. It shall be done," she answered.

* * *

Later, Corrin and Elise had discussed to their other siblings about this second chance that was granted.

"Darling, are you sure you both are going to be okay out there? I don't like this..." Camilla asked, giving Rocky some bacon strips.

"Of course!" Corrin answered. "Please don't worry. It's just an abandoned fort."

"You're acting rather casual about this, Corrin," Leo noted. "It isn't like father to be so forgiving..."

Those words confused her. "Huh? What do you mean, Leo?"

"That's enough, Leo! Don't be so worried all the time, sheesh. And don't even try to scare Corrin before her and Rocky's first mission!" Elise scolded, slapping her big brother in the face.

"Hey! That's not necessary," he said.

"I suppose I'll just have to come along," Camilla offered, standing back up with the pup in her arms. "That way I know Corrin and Rocky will be safe."

"I'm afraid that's not possible," came a voice.

The group turned and saw a creepy and suspicious-looking mage approaching them. His appearance aside, he's Nohr's tactician, Iago.

"Why ever not, Iago?" Camilla demanded.

"Lady Camilla, King Garon intends his expedition as a test of sorts," Iago reasoned. "As his top advisor, I have been entrusted with coordinating this mission. He would like to know whether Princess Corrin is worthy. After all, she is a part of the royal lineage. Therefore, your assistance would simply muddy the results."

Corrin accepted this reason. "Understood. Camilla, I need to do this all by myself. Surely you understand."

Rocky barked in defiance.

"Sorry. I need to do this by myself with Rocky by my side."

"Not just the two of you, Corrin," came Garon's voice. The group turned and were surprised to see the king approaching them.

"Father! I didn't see you there," Corrin said in an apologetic tone.

"Rest assured, I don't intend to send you out there completely defenseless," he told her.

As if on cue, a bald, muscular, dangerous-looking man walked towards them. "Milord," he greeted.

"This is Hans," Garon introduced. "He is a veteran warrior and will ensure no trouble befalls you."

"Thank you, father," Corrin thanked.

Xander, on the other hand, didn't trust this newcomer one bit. "I'd be wary of that man if I were you, Corrin," he whispered a warning.

"Why do you say that?" she asked.

"He's a criminal. A murderer and scoundrel. I arrested him myself years ago. father seems to think he's rehabilitated, but I'm not so sure. That said, he is a formidable soldier."

"I see..."

* * *

Time later, Corrin found herself and her group on a bridge, standing over a cliff. Besides Hans, joining her and Rocky were Gunter and Jakob.

"Wow... Is this it? The Bottomless Canyon?" she asked.

"Yes," Gunter answered. "It's the natural boundary dividing Nohr and Hoshido."

Corrin looked down below. "It can't be really bottomless, can it?"

"Let the eternal darkness below be your answer. Those who fall in never return... I truly despise this place. Something about the land around here just isn't right. The sky here is always dark and foreboding, and lightning strikes all who fly across. This clearly is a place us mortals were never meant to enter. Normally we'd go around, but the fort King Garon wants surveyed is right over there." The knight pointed at the building in question on the other side of the bridge.

"Oh, it's not so bad," Corrin disagreed. "Or perhaps I'm just happy to be outside in the fresh air! Compared to the inside of that fortress, this is downright exciting. Don't you think, Rocky?"

Rocky jumped and barked happily in agreement. "Arf rock ruff!"

Gunter couldn't help but smile at the sight. "Ha! That certainly puts things in perspective, milady. Come, let us proceed."

Just then, ninjas and samurais suddenly appeared from the fortress.

"Blast! It looks like this fort isn't as abandoned as we thought. Why the devil is this place crawling with Hoshidans?" Gunter questioned.

"Hold on!" a Hoshidan called out. "Do not advance any farther, soldiers of Nohr."

"Crossing that bridge is a violation of our border treaty," said a Hoshidan by the fort's entrance. "Turn back at once or we'll be forced to attack!"

Jakob looked to Corrin. "What should we do?" he asked.

"We're not here to fight. I suppose we'll have to turn back and report to father," she suggested, reminding them of the reason why they were here.

"Wise decision, Lady Corrin," Gunter respected.

Unfortunately, not all of them shared that same ideal. "Who asked you, old man?"

"What?!" To their shock, Hans rushed across the bridge and killed a samurai. "Ah ha ha! Die, scumbags!"

"You'll pay for this!" shouted the ninja by the fort.

"Hans! What are you doing?! We had no reason to engage these troops!" Corrin told him. Hans simply scoffed at her words. "We should have tried diplomacy first. We weren't sent here to fight!"

"Speak for yourself, weakling!" he retorted.

Corrin was taken aback by his words. "What's that supposed to mean?" She then remembered something and took out the ball she got from her father. "Please help me," she whispered, pressing the button to enlarge the ball and tossed it.

Appearing from the ball was a big, black and blue, three-headed dragon with six black wings, with two of its heads acting as arms. All three heads let out a loud roar.

"Stop Hans!" Corrin ordered.

The dragon looked at her. " _ **Human... You dare order me after what you've done?!**_ "

Corrin let out a gasp in shock at what she heard, in which Gunter and Jakob noticed.

"Is something wrong, milady?" Jakob asked.

The princess looked at him in shock. "Y-You guys didn't hear that?" she asked back.

"Hear what?" Gunter questioned, much to her disbelief. "But other than that, I don't like how your father's 'gift' is looking at us."

Corrin looked back and saw the dragon glaring at the trio.

" _ **You smell... somewhat similar to those humans who took me and my allies from our trainer! DIE!**_ _ **Tri-Attack!**_ " The three heads gathered energy in their individual mouths and fired off flames, lightning or ice at the trio of Nohrians and Rocky.

"Look out!" Jakob shouted, as all three jumped back and avoided the attack. "You stupid dragon! How dare you attack your new mistress?!"

" ** _Don't screw with me!_** " the dragon roared out.

The Hoshidans noticed the action the dragon took towards their sworn enemies.

"Hey. That dragon!"

"It attacked the Nohrians?"

"Then is it on our side?"

Hans also saw the whole ordeal. "That useless beast! What is it thinking?"

The three-headed Pokemon turned to the Hoshidans. " ** _I side with no one but my trainer and fellow Pokemon! Hyper Voice!_** " He let out some horribly loud echoing shout at the Hoshidans, blowing some back.

A bark was heard, and the dragon looked back at the yapping Rocky.

"Rocky! What are you doing?!" Corrin asked, afraid of what the dragon, in which she somehow understands, would do to him.

" _ **You?! You dare side with those humans! After what they've done?! I see I can trust no one here!**_ " the three-headed dragon said, letting out a loud roar.

It was then, Jakob realized something. "Lady Corrin! The ball!"

As he shouted that, Corrin quickly took the ball that had the dragon contained out. Just one small problem...

"Wait, how do I put it back in?!" she questioned. The other two men gasped in shock when they also realized they've no idea how the method is done.

The Pokemon saw what she attempted to do and was not at all happy. " _ **You dare attempt to put me back in my Dusk Ball... that belongs to my trainer! I'll crush you all!**_ "

"Soldiers of Hoshido, hear me! Do not leave a single Nohrian alive! And as for that Pokemon... We must find a way to stall it at least long enough for _her_ to get here!" the ninja at the fort ordered.

"Prepare to attack!" followed another Hoshidan.

Gunter gritted his teeth and the circumstances. "Looks like there's no getting out of this now. Get ready to fight, Lady Corrin."

And so they fought. Instead of crossing the bridge, Corrin sensed a Dragon Vein nearby and used it to create some stone bridges to get to the fort faster, as well as avoid the rampaging three-headed Pokemon. Just as they crossed, defeating some Hoshidans in the process, Hans seemed to have disappeared somewhere. As they defeated some other Hoshidans, Corrin and Rocky got to the leader of the group, and their fortress.

"Do you even realize what you've done here today?" he asked. "Hoshido won't stand for unprovoked attacks like this. Revenge will be ours!"

And so, he charged at Corrin with his shuriken in hand. Corrin blocked the blow, and Rocky took the chance to strike with his fiery fangs while the ninja left himself wide open. The sight of the pup attacking surprised the ninja.

"Another Pokemon?!" he gasped.

Corrin's eyes widened when she heard what he called Rocky. "Wait... what did you say?"

Rather than answering, the ninja had a very angry look on his face as he looked over to the rampaging dragon Pokemon's direction. "To force them to fight like this... how low can you Nohrians go?!" The ninja shouted, as he charged at Corrin again.

"Wait, what do you mean?!" the princess asked, blocking another strike.

Just then, a knife was thrown and struck the ninja in the shoulder. "You will not harm Lady Corrin!" Jakob shouted, throwing another knife at the Hoshidan, in which he deflected. "Lady Corrin! Do it now!"

As much as she wanted to keep the ninja alive a little longer, at least to know what he meant by what he said, Corrin knew the Hoshidan wasn't willing to hear him out and went for the kill, seizing the fort in the process.

"This isn't what I had in mind... but at least I've completed father's mission," Corrin sighed in relief. "Now all that's left is calming my Pokemon."

Sadly, she spoke too soon, as Hoshidan reinforcements arrived.

"You're the leader of these troops? Pah. You're nothing more than a girl," spoke a red-head ninja.

"Who are you?" Corrin asked.

"My name is Saizo. I've come to claim your life."

Knowing that meant the battle was far from over, the princess warned her small troops that the enemy was coming still.

"Destroy them!" Saizo ordered his men.

"I won't allow it!"

To Corrin's shock and relief, Xander appeared.

"What?! This must be their real commander..." Saizo noticed.

"What's going on here, Corrin?" Xander asked.

"Xander! How did you know we're in trouble?" Corrin asked back.

Just then, the rest of her siblings also arrived.

"We're arrived just in time. Your luck never runs out, does it, sister?" Leo asked.

"Are you and Rocky all right? I was so worried about you both," Camilla cooed.

"We're all here for you, Corrin!" Elise cheered.

"Thank you, everyone!" Corrin called, before realizing one thing. "But before we get too carried away... we are under attack. And we have a small problem with my Pokemon." She pointed at the direction of the said monster still destroying everything in sight.

As if a switch was flicked, anger and rage were seen in Camilla's eyes. "Who dares attack my beloved Corrin? I'll have their heads on a platter!"

"I'm not hurt, Camilla," a slightly frightened Corrin corrected.

"But darling, it's the thought that counts!" Next thing the former sheltered princess knew, she watched her older sister obliterate two Hoshidan samurais and make her way towards her Pokemon.

"I never knew Camilla could be so... ruthless..." a shocked Corrin spoke.

"Heehee! That's right, you've never seen her on the battlefield before," Elise said, not at all fazed by the massacre.

"This is not going well..." Saizo sighed.

As he said this, his ally and fellow retainer, Kagero appeared. "Saizo! What's wrong? What's our status?"

"I misjudged the situation," he told her. "We're outnumbered, and there's a rampaging Pokemon nearby. And from the looks of it, it's not a Nohrian ally either. Kagero, do we have anyone else on the way?"

"Affirmative. Lord Ryoma and Riana are right behind me."

Those words brought back hope in his eye(s?). "Ahh... Then I think this battle is as good as won."

Xander seemed to have overheard part of their conversation. "It looks like more Hoshidan reinforcements are on the way," he warned.

"Indeed," Leo agreed, also getting the gist of the conversation. "What should we do?"

"Well, Corrin is safe, and the fort's condition has been evaluated. There is no reason to engage Hoshido any further at this point. Corrin, you take the lead with Gunter and Rocky. We'll follow close behind."

"Will do. Thank you, Xander," Corrin said, as she and her knight and teacher both took their leave, with Jakob following behind them.

As they were crossing the bridge, Corrin looked back and noticed something wrong. "Gunter, have you see Jakob? He was here a second ago..."

"I'm sure he's right behind us," Gunter told her. "Now hurry up. I can't stand being on this bridge a moment longer."

Rocky made a whimper in agreement.

The moment he said that, Hans appeared from the other side of the bridge. "Don't worry. You won't have to stand there much longer," he told him.

"Hans!" Corrin gasped.

"What is the meaning of this?" Gunter questioned, as Rocky growled at the man.

"Less talk, more death!" As Hans said that, he knocked Gunter and his mount off the bridge and down the Bottomless Canyon.

"Hans no! Why are you doing this? Your own ally..." Corrin asked.

"Aww, did I knock your babysitter into the ditch? Here, you can meet up with him at the bottom!" Hans mocked with a laugh.

Rocky, out of anger, jumped at the man and bit him with his fiery breath.

"Ouch! Damn mutt!" Hans forced Rocky off him and used his weapon to knock the dog back to Corrin's side. The hit was hard enough to knock the poor pup unconscious.

Seeing this, Corrin froze. Of the many emotions she had felt and experienced, here was one she had not felt since... ever. She may have felt similar emotions, but none were as strong as this; pure, utter rage.

"You'll pay for this!" Next she knew, her arm changed.

Hans was shocked at this development. "What?! What kind of... freak... are you?!" he demanded.

Instead of answers, Corrin attacked Hans, hard and brutally.

"It can't be..." he spoke in fear.

"I want answers, Hans! Why are you doing this? Why did you provoke the Hoshidans? And why did you kill Gunter? Answer me!"

"Just following orders! King Garon's orders!" he answered in fright.

Corrin was shocked with the reply, which was quickly replaced with more anger. "You liar!" Not wanting to deal with her much longer, Hans ran. "Come back here!" Before Corrin knew it, her sword was starting to act up weird and she was pulled off the bridge and into the canyon.

Next she knew, a face she'd never thought she'd see at a time like this was falling with her. "My kin, my gods, my blood... Dragons grant me strength! Great Moro, I beseech you!" she chanted. Light engulfed her and Lilith was changing shape. She managed to grab Corrin and flew her up and our of the canyon.

"Lilith? Is that you?" Corrin asked in shock. "What... are you?"

"Lady Corrin... I knew this day would come eventually," Lilith said. "This may come as a shock, but I am not a human."

"Well, I can see that. Are you a dragon?"

Indeed, what Lilith changed into seemed strikingly similar to a dragon. A small one at that, colored blue and white with some red and seemed to be a slight mix with a fish, riding on an orb.

"Yes, this is my true form," Lilith confirmed. "You've seen it before. Do you remember? That strange bird you rescued in the barn..."

Corrin knew what she meant and couldn't believe what she was hearing. "That... was you...?"

"It was. Once I recovered, I was able to take human form. You were so kind to me that I decided to remain a human so that I might serve you. But now I used a power that goes beyond the capacity of a human body. I will not be able to return to that form. I don't mind though. The most important thing to me is that you're safe." As she said that, she started to lose some altitude. "Eek!"

"Lilith! Be careful! Drop me if you must... I won't have you sacrifice yourself for me!" Corrin pleaded.

Instead of doing as she said or speaking against the suggestion, Lilith chanted, "First Dragons, I call on you. Grant us access to the astral plane!"

A gateway suddenly opened up, in which Lilith flew her and Corrin into.

* * *

At the same time, back at the battle between Corrin's siblings, some Hoshidan soldiers, and the three-headed dragon Pokemon, a pair of newcomers entered the fray.

"Saizo! Kagero!" Ryoma called, getting everyone's attention.

"Lord Ryoma!" his ninja retainers called in relief.

The fact that the two treated one of the two with respect, the siblings didn't need to ask to know who this man was.

"So you're the true leader," Xander spoke.

"Yes. And I have heard of some Nohrians that killed some of my men for no reason at all. And not only that, but there's also a Pokemon that is out of control. Have you people no shame?" Ryoma questioned.

"It is a misunderstanding, I assure you. We will be on our way, as soon as we regain control of what's ours."

The Pokemon, however, disagrees with the oldest prince, as he covered himself in blue, dragon-shaped flames and rushed towards the royal siblings. Leo managed to respond in time to cast a spell to counter against the attack.

"If you think you can control that Pokemon, good luck with that," Riana spoke. "Hydreigon is an extremely brutal Pokemon. In fact, it's called the Brutal Pokemon for a reason. Not many trainers can just get them to simply listen to their commands. Especially if they didn't start off their bond when the Hydreigon was a Deino."

Xander took note of the girl's clothes. ' _Those clothes... They're like those humans of the other world,_ ' he thought.

The Pokemon, Hydreigon, looked down at the girl and fired his triple beams at her.

Elise panicked when she saw this. "Look out!" she cried out.

Instead of panicking, Riana simply took out a Pokeball from her pocket. "It's on you! Go!" Tossing it at the beams, the ball opened up and something took the attack head on.

The Nohrians couldn't believe what they saw.

"You claim we have no shame... when you just sent your Pokemon on a suicide mission!" Leo shouted. "You hypocrites!"

"You know... the fact that you called them 'Pokemon' and not 'magical creatures' says a lot of things right now," Riana said. "Tell me. Have you encountered any trainers like me in your kingdom? And if you did... do you know what happened to the Pokemon that were with them?"

"And do pray tell us why we should answer to you," Camilla requested.

"Because if you don't... what will happen to the Hydreigon, will happen to you."

The Nohrians were going to question the threat when they saw something land by the girl's side. That something was a small Pokemon, wearing a rag with a drawing of a face on it and a wooden tail coming out from under it.

"Nice work on the defense, Mimikyu," Riana complimented the Pokemon next to her.

"Mim kyu," it nodded.

"Wait a second! How can that thing still be standing?! It clearly took a direct hit from that attack!" Leo questioned.

"See for yourself. Mimikyu, charge in!" Mimikyu faced the Hydreigon and dashed towards it.

The Brutal Pokemon itself prepared another dose of its Tri-Attack and fired. Neither Mimikyu nor Riana were fazed by the powerful move, as it hit the Disguise Pokemon again. When the smoke cleared, the Nohrians saw that no damage was done to it again, as Mimikyu continued to charge at it nonstop.

"Shadow Claw!" At its trainer's command, Mimikyu's claws came out from under it and, with the claws cloaked in shadows, struck the Hydreigon hard in the face. Despite its small size, the attack was strong enough to cause the Dragon-type to falter.

"What sort of sorcery...?" Leo gasped out.

"Normal-type moves are useless against Ghost-types like Mimikyu," Riana explained. To the Hydreigon, she said, "I thought you'd know that!"

Angered, the Pokemon this time glowed orange. Facing all three heads towards the sky, they all unleashed a trio of energy spheres from their mouths. When the orbs made contact with each other, it exploded and released multiple orange spheres.

"Are those meteors?!" Elise gasped in shock.

"They're all heading towards that small Pokemon!" Leo noticed.

Riana observed the action of that Hydreigon, not fazed with the powerful Draco Meteor that was used. "Knock them all back!" she ordered, much to the Nohrians' shock.

What came next shocked them even more, as Mimikyu jumped into the air and easily knocked the spheres away with its tail, all towards the Hydreigon. The orbs all hit, and Hydreigon descended from the air, falling to its side on the Hoshidans' side of the canyon. When it struggled to get back up, Riana approached it.

"It's okay," she said to it. "There's only one way a Dragon-type Pokemon would know Draco Meteor. You're a trainer Pokemon, aren't you? And you were taken away from your trainer, weren't you?"

The Hydreigon glared at her as she walked closer.

"I'm not like them. You can tell, can't you?" She held out a hand in an attempt to help ease the Brutal Pokemon.

When she reached out a bit too close for comfort for it, Hydreigon bit her arms and shoulder with all three heads, much to everyone's shock and worry.

"Wait," Ryoma ordered his retainers, both whom were ready to get to Riana.

Instead of screaming in pain, Riana toughed out the pain and pet the Hydreigon. "It's okay. Like I said, I'm not like them," she managed to say so calmly. "I promise, I'll find a way to get you back to your trainer."

Upon realizing that the girl was on its side, Hydreigon released its hold on her. Feeling extremely guilty for harming someone who was trying to help it, all size eyes teared up.

Riana realized this action and already guessed that the Pokemon felt guilty for harming her. "It's fine. You didn't know, did you?" she assured.

The Nohrians were speechless at the action before them. There were other strong-looking Pokemon like Hydreigon that went rogue for a bit like it did and they had to resort to violence to get those Pokemon to listen. They even had to chain the Pokemon up until they were obedient enough to listen to their command. Of the four siblings, though, only Elise showed pure awe at the sight.

"Now then..." Riana turned to the Nohrians. "The Hydreigon's actions spoke for itself. You people... you have other trainer Pokemon, don't you? You took those Pokemon from their trainers, didn't you?!"

That last question confused the siblings.

"'Took' them? There must be some kind of misunderstanding," Leo tried to reason.

"Save your breath. Mimikyu!" Riana's small Pokemon joined her as she took out her Z-Ring and put it on her wrist, as well as equipping a Z-Crystal into the slot. "Time to send them flying!" With the ring glowing, the two did some synchronized poses together. "Have a taste... of what our bond is made of! _**BREAKNECK BLITZ**_ _ **!**_ " Ending their poses by crossing one arm from the head and the other from the chest, the aura that was building around the trainer was transferred to her Mimikyu. The Disguise Pokemon used the additional energy received from its trainer to charge towards the Nohrians at breakneck speed.

The four royal siblings were unable to move from their spot as the small Pokemon closed in on them. Next thing they knew, the Pokemon struck them and they were surprisingly sent flying away.

Though not their first time seeing this, Ryoma and his retainers still couldn't help but be amazed and frightened at the power demonstrated. "A month since you became Azura's retainer and do all sorts of training with your Pokemon involving this powerful technique and I still can't believe we have a powerful ally with us," the prince said.

"Thanks. But do you think Mimikyu and I went a bit too strong with that one?" Riana asked, for that attack seemed to have sent them quite far.

"If that group is who I think they are, you've nothing to worry about."

"If you say so..." Riana looked to the side and saw something from a distance. She rushed over to it and let out a gasp at the sight. "Hey! There's an injured Rockruff here!" Hearing that, Ryoma and his retainers rushed to her side. To the Pokemon, she said, "Hey! Are you okay?! Stay with me now! You're going to be all right!"


	9. In the Hoshidan Kingdom

**Ahh... Hoshido chapter... The chapter of revelations. From Corrin's true origins, to the truth of Nohr, to meeting Azura. Now in this story, we get a few more revelations. One that may leave some of your more emotional readers heart broken.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Fire Emblem of any kind for either of them. I do, however, own my OC. Adrian is owned by Antex- The Legendary Zoroark.**

* * *

"Normal people talking"

' _Thoughts_ '

" _ **Z-MOVE!**_ "

" _ **Dragon-type Pokemon talking**_ " Only from Corrin's perspective

" _Pokemon talking_ "

* * *

It was a peaceful afternoon in Hoshido. Everyone was going about their day, doing their usual, daily activities, especially those in the capital. Well, the new daily for them at least.

It had been a month since Riana and Adrian were both announced as Azura's retainers and things had been going well for them, for the most part. Adrian spent his time training his Pokemon in private and challenging Riana for a Pokemon battle when she was free. After that, he'd be off doing other activities in peace. These activities include reading, writing, drawing and leaf whistling. The last two activities were especially getting the attention of some people.

While watching from a distance during the past month, to ensure his 'rehab' was going well, Kagero couldn't help but be amazed at some of his works. The drawings were all based on Pokemon doing various of activities, such as napping, eating, or even battling. For someone who came off as cold, she was surprised to see how good he was in art. That being said, as much as she wanted to talk to him about art, she doubted that he would ever speak to her so freely about it, like he would with his Pokemon.

As for the leaf whistling, out of everyone who heard him play, Sakura was the only one who heard him play the instrument. It wasn't that the guy wanted the youngest princess to be an audience, though; she more or less stumbled upon hearing him play the leaf when she was bringing some baskets to Riana for some berries they were growing. The girl didn't have the courage to at least tell him how good he was, but during her free time, she'd spend some of it listening to Adrian play from a distance.

Speaking of Riana, during her free time when she wasn't battling Adrian, she'd either battle Tauros or train her Pokemon. On occasions, she'd even train with Azura and Blue. The adopted princess wanted to be a better trainer for the Popplio and requested that she trains her, especially since Riana was one of the many Pokemon Champions back in her world. Yes, the two trainers explained to the Hoshidans royals and their retainers what it meant to be a Pokemon Champion and, so to say, many were in great shock that Riana held such a title back home. Takumi was conflicted as to whether he should start showing her respect or not believe in what they say about the championship, especially not when Riana seemed to be around his age. And not only that, but apparently she's been holding that title for currently three years.

They started off easy, with a few jogs around the lake and simple exercises, in which the trainers themselves joined in on. After that, they got into some more physical activities... which made Azura question Riana's sanity. The reason? Riana made herself a target for all her Pokemon to practice their moves on. It amazed her how the Alolan Champion has yet to die from taking all those hits, as did everyone else who witnessed the big 'training', and the Pokemon didn't hold back on her. Though it does make them cry... since they're wasting their vulneraries and staves on one person on a daily basis.

At night, though, that was when things get more intense for Riana and her team's training. They'd go to the lake and have some spars against each other. Riana pairs her Pokemon up based on their strengths and weaknesses, both in terms of types and physical strengths. And so to say, it was intense! None of the Pokemon held back on any of their attacks and the 'spar' seemed more like three different full-on Pokemon battles, with Riana giving commands to all six on what to do and what not to do. After some time of battle, Riana would then proceed to some Z-Move training, which was basically moving in sync with one of her Pokemon and ending the movements with a selected Z-Move.

At that time, the royal family were curious as to what Riana was doing at night, especially since she was speeding through dinner, and followed her to her training spot on the seventh night. Imagine their surprise when they saw her nightly activities. If they didn't know any better, Riana was training an army. Though with how powerful her Pokemon were, they'd be foolish to try and fight against her, even with their army assisting them. And not only that, but they hadn't forgotten the state a few of their men were in when they fought against one Pokemon before she came in.

' _I am glad she's not an enemy,_ ' was what they all thought, forgetting that there was one other trainer who may be just as though as Azura's female retainer. Though Azura couldn't help but feel as though she was still lacking at being a better trainer for Blue and joined Riana in their nightly training, to the trainer's shock. It surprised Riana even more when the princess told her she wants to join her in all her harsh training with her Pokemon, though the word 'harsh' was putting it a bit too strongly.

Today, however, was different.

Yesterday, they had brought back some guests in form of a Hydreigon and a Rockruff from the Bottonless Canyon. While the former Pokemon was still weary of some people, upon seeing Azura and Adrian with Pokemon, and how friendly Sakura was towards Tauros, he quickly warmed up to the trio. Well... Sakura was more frightened by the Brutal Pokemon's appearance and ran off crying when he approached, surprising the Dragon-type. As for the Rockruff, after healing it up with some Potions she had on her, Riana brought it to the infirmary to get it checked up and herself healed up.

Today, the Pokemon had yet to wake and it was worrying Riana, who was sitting by its bedside. The trainer looked at the scarf that was wrapped around its neck and couldn't help but think how worried its trainer must be, for a Rockruff to be in this world.

Just as she thought that, the Pokemon showed signs of waking up, as it opened its eyes.

"You're awake!" she exclaimed in relief.

Upon hearing a voice it was not familiar with, the Rockruff was fully awake and looked around the room. Upon making eye contact with Riana, it stepped back and growled at her.

"Hey, hey, hey. It's okay. I won't hurt you," she assured in a soft tone.

The Rockruff didn't feel any calmer around this girl, though, and kept growling.

An idea popped into her head. "I know what can help calm you down." She took out a Pokeball and called out a certain Pokemon from within it. "Lycanroc, come on out."

Out of the ball came her loyal and trusty Wolf Pokemon. "Lycanroc," it barked.

The fully-evolved Rock-type got Rockruff's interest, as he got off the bed and looked at him from all different angles and sniffed him. After the small inspection, the Puppy Pokemon happily jumped and barked.

"See? There's nothing to be afraid of. We're all friends here," Riana told the Rockruff, who barked and nodded in agreement. "Now, you must be hungry. How about you join us for some breakfast?" With another bark, the trio left the infirmary room to the dining hall.

Just as they left, a thought came to Rocky's mind. " _Wait! Where's Cory?_ " he asked.

Lycanroc turned to his pre-evolved form. " _Who?_ " he asked back.

" _Cory! My best friend!_ " The pup let out a gasp as a horrid thought came to his mind. " _Don't tell me... Did that bald guy...?_ " Suddenly, the Puppy Pokemon was sitting on the side, crying a waterfall as he whimpered like crazy.

This sudden action worried Riana. "Whoa! What's wrong?!" she asked it. "Are you still hurt somewhere?"

" _CORYYYYY_ _!_ " the Puppy Pokemon howled.

It was at times like this, Riana wished she can understand Pokemon.

* * *

 _ ***MEANWHILE, AT THE SAME TIME***_

Corrin woke up some time ago after getting knocked out by Rinkah, the latter who thought the former was a random Nohrian soldier. When she was told she would be sent to Hoshidan authorities, she was worried that she'll be executed after the unprovoked attack done by Hans. After meeting up with Kaze outside the hut at a snowy mountain, the princess followed the ninja to the castle. And it was then, she realized something.

"Wait! Where's Rocky?!" she asked, to Rinkah and Kaze's confusion.

"Rocky? You mean that dog that was always with you?" the heiress of the Flame Tribe asked back.

"He's more than just a dog; he's my best friend!" She gasped as a horrid thought came to mind. "Don't tell me... Did that dragon I let out...?" The next the two knew, the princess was on her knees and crying, much to their shock.

"P-Princess! Is there something wrong?!" Kaze asked.

"ROCKYYYYY!"

* * *

 _ ***TIME LATER***_

After managing to calm Corrin down somewhat for her 'loss', Kaze and Rinkah brought the girl to the Throne Room, where Ryoma was. The ninja kneeled before the oldest prince.

"Welcome back, Kaze. Good work," Ryoma greeted.

"Thank you, Lord Ryoma," the ninja thanked.

Hearing his name made Corrin freeze. "Did... Did you just say Lord Ryoma?" she asked.

"Yes. This is the high prince of Hoshido, Lord Ryoma," Rinkah introduced.

"... I understand," Corrin weakly answered. Ryoma simply stared at her. "What are you waiting for? If you're going to execute me, please get on with it. And while you're at it, feed my remains to the three-headed dragon in the Bottomless Canyon..."

Shocked at the request, everyone turned to Mikoto, as she walked into the room. "I cannot believe it is really you..." she spoke.

Corrin was confused with her words. "I'm sorry, do we know each other?" she asked.

"Oh, I've missed you so much! Come here, Corrin, my sweet child!"

Next thing the princess knew, Mikoto embraced her in a hug. "Your sweet child?! What are you talking about? That's not possible..." she said in denial.

"Oh, my poor Corrin. It's a sad story. When you were very young, you were abducted by forces from Nohr. I am your mother, Mikoto. All this time, I didn't know if I'd ever see you again!" the queen explained.

"But King Garon is my father! None of what you're saying makes sense."

"It must be quite a shock, but I assure you that she speaks the truth. I am your eldest brother, Ryoma," Ryoma told her.

"No, no, no... Xander is my oldest brother! Leo, Elise and Camilla are my siblings and-" Corrin cut herself off when she reminded herself what had become of Rocky. Or so she thought at least.

"Are those Nohrian royals? They're not your real family. I still remember the day you were taken. In those days, there was tension between Hoshido and Nohr, but no full-blown war. Not until King Garon lured King Sumeragi, our father, to Cheve under false pretenses. He said it was for a peace conference. Ha! His real plan was to murder our father in cold blood. And to make matters even worse... he kidnapped you."

Corrin couldn't believe what she was hearing. "No. That's just not possible..."

"You really don't remember any of this? Not even a single memory?" Ryoma asked her.

"No. Honestly, I only have the vaguest memories from my early childhood. There are times when I can sense something beneath the surface... A blurry image. Like a stone at the bottom of a lake, shimmering and ethereal. But that's it. Nothing of substance."

The high prince nodded in understanding. "Well, I can't imagine the Nohrian royals would share much of the past with you. I know this is a lot to take it."

"Come on, please don't cry any more..." came Riana's voice. Everyone turned and watched as the girl was walking past the Throne Room, with a certain, crying Pokemon in her arms.

One look at the pup, and Corrin cried out, "Rocky?!"

Riana, her Lycanroc, and Rocky looked up at her voice. The Rockruff's tears was suddenly gone as he jumped out of Riana's arms and rushed over to the princess. " _Cory~!_ "

Filled with great amount of joy, Corrin ran back at him. "Rocky~!" As soon as the pup jumped in her arms, Corrin spun a bit and hugged him tight, as Rocky rubs his scarf and rocks against the girl's neck. "I was so worried about you!" she cried out, with tears of joy.

" _I missed you even more!_ " the pup whined, also crying tears of joy as his tail was wagging.

Watching this scene moved everyone, Mikoto to the point where she was shedding some happy tears for her long-lost daughter. Riana first assumed Corrin was an enemy when she laid eyes on her armor, but as soon as she saw this scene before her, she didn't think Corrin was a bad girl. Especially not when the Rockruff was so happy to see Corrin, he rubbed the rocks on his neck against her, the sign of a Rockruff's love.

Corrin walked over to Riana. "You saved my dog, right? Thank you so so much!" she said gratefully.

Though a bit confused with the 'dog' part, Riana replied, "It was nothing. I just did what anyone would've done."

"But there must be some way I can repay-" Corrin stopped herself when she looked down at Lycanroc, who stood by his trainer's side. For some reason... "Why do I feel kind of familiar with this wolf next to you?"

"You probably don't know, but this is your Rockruff's evolved form. Well, one of them that is."

Corrin looked up at her in confusion. "Rockruff?" What the ninja said to her yesterday came to her mind, and her confusion changed into shock. "You mean Rocky?!"

Her shock puzzled Riana, who assumed the girl knew her pup was no ordinary pup. "You mean you didn't know until now?" she asked.

"No! Never! I mean, I knew he wasn't any ordinary puppy, but I didn't think he was a Pokemon! Do all Pokemon come from eggs?!"

That question took Riana by surprise. "How long have you two been together?"

"Over eight years now."

' _Azura had Blue for ten years! How long has Pokemon from our world been disappearing?!_ ' Riana wondered.

"And you've had him since he was an egg?" the girl asked out loud.

"Yes," Corrin nodded.

"No wonder why he's so close to you. I thought he was a Pokemon taken from his trainer like Hydreigon. I'm glad that's not the case then."

Those words confused the princess. "'Taken'?"

Before the conversation could continue, a samurai appeared and knelt down to Ryoma. "Lord Ryoma! I have an urgent message. We're under attack from the north!"

Ryoma's eyes widened at the news. "No! Hinoka and Sakura are in that area now!"

"Yes, milord. I've been told that they're working to help evacuate the villagers."

"Very well. We'll need to provide support. I'll leave immediately." Ryoma turned to Corrin and Riana and said, "Corrin, will you come with me? I want you to see the truth with your own eyes. And Riana, we may need some Pokemon support as well."

"Leave it to me!" the girl saluted. "I'd ask if you want me to find Adrian, but I'll never know where he could be at this time if it isn't to battle me."

With a nod, the group head north.

* * *

The group, with Kaze and Rinkah joining them, quickly arrived at a snowy area of the northern part of Hoshido. Despite the cold and her light clothes, Riana didn't mind the chill. After all, she had felt worse back in Mount Lanakila on Ula'ula Island. That, and she had been hit with some ice-type moves that were colder than this. Just reminiscing on those times made her wonder how she managed to survive from the coldest ice-type move.

"Don't you feel cold in just that?" Corrin asked.

"A little, but I've felt worse," she answered.

Upon seeing some masked, green, hulky creatures, Corrin stopped in her tracks. "What are those things?"

"We would explain, but right now, we have to focus on the battle at hand."

Corrin looked at Riana. "And how are you going to fight? No offense but, I doubt anything in that bag can help you."

"Oh I'm not fighting. My Pokemon are." Taking out another Pokeball from her strap, she called out the Pokemon within. "Incineroar! Let's go!"

Upon watching the muscular, tiger-like Pokemon pop out of the Pokeball, and seeing the Pokeball itself, Corrin couldn't help but ask, "A ball... and a Pokemon from it? Are you one of those trainers fa- uh, King Garon spoke of?! Why are you here?!"

"Again, explanations after battle!" Riana said. "These guys aren't going to wait forever for us to act!"

Corrin decided she was right and took out Ganglari, ready to fight.

Rinkah looked to the side and noticed a village not too far from where they were. "Hm? That village... Not everyone has evacuated yet. We should warn them to stay out of harm's way!"

"Can we leave that to you, Rinkah?" Riana asked.

"No problem!" The tanned girl lifted her club and made her way to the village.

Riana looked at the mountains of snow ahead of them. "Incineroar! Use Flamethrower on one of these mountains of snow!" At her command, the Heel Pokemon breathed out flames from his mouth and melted the snow, as well as revealing a monster on the other side. "Before they act, Lycanroc, Accelerock!" The Midday Wolf Pokemon dashed at the lone monstrosity and struck its arm, quickly moving away from it before the monster could counterattack. "Use Rock Climb!" Lycanroc then jumped at it again, this time, jabbing its claws deep within it and ending it.

Corrin was in awe at how easy Riana made ordering the Pokemon seem, as did Rocky at how cool his evolved form looked.

The fight continued on like this for a while. Rather than have Incineroar melt all the snow, though, Corrin was able to locate a Dragon Vein and used it to melt some snow drifts. However, there were too many of these monsters, and Ryoma already went on ahead to get to his other sisters, with Kaze backing him up and Rinkah joining the boys.

"There's just too many of them!" Corrin said.

"I'll call on more backup!" Riana told her. Just as she reached to another Pokeball or two, a trio of roars were heard.

The girls and the monsters all turned towards the roar and saw Hydreigon flying in. The sight of it frightened Corrin.

' _I-It's... It's that dragon!_ ' she thought.

" _ **We've come!**_ " Hydreigon shouted.

"Hey, Riana! If there was a fight going on up here, you should've come find me! I'm your rival, for goodness sake!" came a voice familiar to the female trainer.

"You have such impeccable timing, Adrian!" Riana said, as her fellow retainer to Azura popped out from Hydreigon's back.

"It's your fault for not even sending a messenger to me! Be glad Hydreigon was nearby for me to get here before you went and died on me!"

" _ **All right, all right! Knock it off already!**_ " Hydreigon told him, not that the trainers knew what he said.

Corrin was speechless to see the Pokemon not going on a rampage like it did back in Bottomless Canyon.

' _That is the same Pokemon given to me by father, right?_ ' she wondered.

Adrian jumped off Hydreigon and joined the girls. Making eye contact with Corrin, he stated, "Never seen you before. Not like it matters." Corrin was taken aback by the sudden cold attitude, as Adrian took out a Pokeball. "Okay Reaper! It's time to battle!"

Out of the ball was a black dog with an orange snout and underbelly, a gray band around its neck with a skull-like pendant, a pair of white bands on each its ankles, three gray rib-like ridges on its back, and two long curved horns on its head. This Pokemon also had some scars all over its body.

"Nice call on your Houndoom. We could use some help melting all this snow," Riana said.

"The fact that you're taking this long is ridiculous in itself!" Adrian said. "Regardless if you're different people, I thought you're Alola's champion!"

"Do you want me to burn all this snow and accidentally turn Sakura and Hinoka to ashes?! Ryoma would kill me if I do that!" Riana reasoned.

Adrian was about to retort, but found that she had a point. "Anyway, let's just burn these Faceless to the ground already."

"Speaking my language." The two looked back to the many Faceless before them. "Incineroar!"

"Reaper!"

"Use Flamethrower!" At both their commands, their Fire-type Pokemon did as ordered and breathed out powerful flames at the monsters surrounding them and the snow hills. Some Faceless tried to attack the two, in which their trainers noticed.

"Reaper, duck and use Nasty Plot!"

"Incineroar, Darkest Lariat!"

The Houndoom lied on its front while Incineroar spun at full speed, knocking the Faceless away from them.

"Now use Flare Blitz!" At Riana's next command, Incineroar blazed up and charged at some of the monsters, taking them down with some burns and broken bones.

"Use Fire Blast!" Come Adrian's own order, and Reaper unleashed an intense blast of all consuming flames, easily burning down more Faceless.

Corrin was shocked to witness such teamwork. Not even her twin maids can fight in the same unison as those two, and she had seen them fight at times to help her train. While she was distracted, she was unaware of a Faceless coming in to attack her from behind.

Rocky noticed, but was not close enough to stop it. "Rock ruff!"

At his cry, Corrin turned and saw the Faceless's fist closing in on her. Just when she thought she'd get hit, the monstrosity got knocked away by a Dragon Rush.

" _ **Doze off at your own time, you stupid human!**_ " Hydreigon scolded.

The princess, while still surprised she can somehow understand this one Pokemon in front of her, snapped herself out of dazed state and got back to the fight at hand.

After some time of fighting...

"Riana! Adrian! You can wipe them all out in one go now!" came Ryoma's voice.

The called trainers, Corrin, and the Pokemon looked and saw the guy with Kaze, Rinkah and his sisters nearby, at a safe distance behind them. Smiles formed on their faces as they caught on to what he meant.

"Corrin, was it? Stand back," Riana advised, putting on her Z-Ring and a Z-Crystal in it.

"What are you...?" Corrin tried to ask, stepping back regardless.

"Let's do this, guys!" the female trainer said, as she, Adrian and their Fire-type Pokemon crossed their arms in front of them in an 'X', with the rings glowing.

"Don't have to tell us twice!" the male said back, as the four did various of poses together. Ending the synchronized pose with bringing down their right arm with their left arm on top of it, the aura built up around the trainers were transferred to their Pokemon. The duo each created a large fireball, in which Corrin and Rockruff went wide-eyed at the size of it.

"With the fire burning within our soul, our passion, our will! Let it become our power!" Adrian chanted, as he and Reaper took a heavy step forward.

"Have a taste... of what our bonds can do!" Riana shouted, as she and Incineroar pulled back their fists.

" _ **INFERNO OVERDRIVE!**_ " both trainers shouted in unison, as Incineroar's fist made contact with the fireball, as he punched it towards a group of Faceless, while Reaper let out a snarl, having his fireball shoot out flames towards his group of Faceless.

Both flames made contact and burned the remaining monsters to ashes, ending them once and for all.

Corrin and Rocky were even more speechless than before as they saw the pair of extremely strong Fire-type attacks. ' _That... is a Pokemon's true power?!_ ' the former thought.

By this time, the other Hoshidan royal siblings joined the group.

"Excellent work, you two," Ryoma complimented.

"Please. Those guys were easy," Adrian said.

Elbowing the guy to make him show respect towards the guy, Riana added, "What he meant was 'All in a day's work'."

Ryoma stifled a laugh at her attempt to cover up the rudeness. "You know, just because he's your fellow retainer and trainer doesn't really mean he has to have good manners. At least not on the field of battle."

"I know, but at the very least, he has to show some respect towards you guys. You're all royals. Plus if a certain group of people hears about this, I'll most likely be on the receiving end of whatever wrath they'll approach me with." None of them argued with her about that.

For the past month, whenever something went wrong that involved Adrian showing disrespect, it was mostly Saizo who'd find her and scold her, saying something along the line of "You two are Lady Azura's retainers! And as his trainer colleague, it should be your job to make sure he shows respect! And since you're a Pokemon Champion, then that makes it even more so!"

Sakura noticed Corrin watching them. "Oh! Thank you so much for coming to our aid," she said, getting everyone's attention. "Those monsters would have caused more damage if you hadn't come. I have to ask, though... Who are you?"

"Oh, my name is-"

"Her name is Corrin," Hinoka interrupted.

"Er, yes. Nice to meet you properly."

Sakura noticed a odd expression on her sister's face. "Hinoka? Are you OK?"

Hinoka placed her hands on Corrin. "Finally... After all these years... I... I've missed you so much." She lowered her head on Corrin's chest and started crying, much to the latter's shock. "S-sorry..."

Corrin wasn't sure what to do in the situation and looked over to Ryoma.

"Hinoka was so attached to you when you were little, Corrin. When you were taken from us, she cried for months. One day she stopped crying and pick up the naginata," he explained. "And I will say... If you ever find yourself facing business end of her weapon... You will soon be filled with major regrets about your life decisions. She vowed to bring you back to us someday... And now here you are."

"And just who is she?" Adrian asked Riana in a whisper.

"Apparently their long lost sister," she whispered back.

After some time of crying, Hinoka finally got herself together and dried her tears. "I'm sorry, Corrin. I'm not usually this emotional. But I'm just so happy to have you back. Take that, Nohrian scumbags! We win, you lose!"

Sakura looked at the silver-haired girl in shock. "Wait... Is this really Corrin?"

"Yes. I know it's big news," Ryoma nodded. To Adrian and Riana, he said, "And I'm sure you two want to know the whole story, and I promise I'll fill you in on it later. For now we should return to the castle before Nohr deploys more monsters. Everyone, let's head home!"

"What are those things, anyway?" Corrin asked.

"They're known as the Faceless. Creature with no will of their own. Created by Nohrian mages," Riana answered.

"I call 'em dead meat," Hinoka said. "But they're the only thing Nohr can throw at us right now. Our mother, Queen Mikoto, put up a magical barrier around our kingdom. Regular enemy soldiers find themselves without the will to fight upon crossing it. So long as Mother is able to keep the barrier up, Nohr can't invade Hoshido. And though Pokemon have been appearing all over Hoshido and Nohr, they're smart enough to not join them in their cause."

"That's why Nohr sends those... things," Ryoma added. "They have no souls-no will of their 's why they are able to penetrate the barrier and terrorize our borders."

Corrin couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But... The Nohrians wouldn't send monsters to terrorize innocent people..."

"Of course they would. They're pure evil. Sometimes the Faceless even turn on the mages who created them. But the Nohrians don't care. They're willing to sacrifice their own just to hurt others. I'll never forgive them for that, or for stealing you away. They'll pay for all the suffering they've caused!" Hinoka vowed.

"But... What about the Pokemon? If the Nohrians are as evil as you claim, why did some trainers from their world lend their Pokemon to them to fight for their cause?"

The Hoshidan royals looked at her in shock.

"How do you know about Pokemon trainers?" Sakura asked.

"My father told me about them. He even gave me one to use, one that kind of went rogue..." Corrin took out the minimized Dusk Ball from her person.

The sight of it in her hands angered Hydreigon. " _ **You still have it in your possession?!**_ " he roared in such a demanding tone, causing the girl to flinch. He would've attacked her, too, if Adrian didn't put an arm in front of him to stop the Brutal Pokemon.

"I don't know what you were told exactly, but it's all a lie," Riana said. "I should know. I saw what happened to the trainers that were sent back to my world from yours. All those trainers that were sent to Nohr? They came back looking like the world was about to end. Worst part is that some kept muttering about wanting their Pokemon back." The female trainer looked to Hydreigon, who was still glaring and growling at Corrin. "Judging from how Hydreigon is reacting to you, it's not that he went rogue. He's angry. Angry that he was forced to be separated from his trainer, to fight for something he wants no part in. And I have no doubt the same goes for the other Pokemon that were taken away from their trainers."

Corrin couldn't believe what was being told to her. "No... That's a lie-"

" ** _IT'S NOT A LIE!_** " She jumped at Hydreigon's voice. " _ **I still remember it like it was yesterday! The torture your people put my trainer through just to make him give us up to you! But every time he refused, your people hurt him until he agreed! And if not him, they'd hurt us! To make things worse for us Pokemon, after you people sent our trainers away, you'd make us do your every bidding! And if we don't obey, you'd use various methods to hurt us! Force us to be obedient! Some of the weaker Pokemon almost died before they finally submitted! The more stronger Pokemon like me were close to getting back our freedom, when your people put us back in our balls and repeated the process until we submitted! But know this; just because we decided to be obedient doesn't at all mean we're okay with what you monsters did to us! I speak for all of us trainer Pokemon still captive in that horrendous place that we will never bow down before you people!**_ "

As he gave such a speech, all everyone else heard were growls and roars and Pokemon speeches.

"Does anyone know what he's saying?" Hinoka asked.

"Not me. Though it looks like he's really angry at something," Adrian said.

"I think I can take a guess..." Riana said, looking at the expression on Corrin's face.

The princess herself fell on her knees, which got everyone else's attention, as they turned and saw the girl with her eyes wide and pupils dilated in shock.

"I... can't believe it..." she breathed out.

* * *

After returning to Castle Shirasagi, with Riana and Adrian's Pokemon back in their Pokeballs, Corrin and Rocky were dragged off to somewhere by Queen Mikoto. Before leaving, the princess gave Riana Hydreigon's Dusk Ball, in which she used to return the Brutal Pokemon back in. When that was done, everyone went back to their normal activities. Of course, such activity includes...

"Off to train Little Miss Princess again?" Adrian asked Riana.

"A month of being her retainer and you still won't call her by her name?" she asked back.

He scoffed at the question. "The day I call her by her name is the day I willingly fall off a cliff."

Riana sighed at how stubborn her fellow retainer and trainer can be. "To answer your question, yes I will be training her. After we have our battle, which is after I battle Tauros. Unless if you battled him that is. You know how he gets if he doesn't get his daily battles."

"Don't I so well. And no, I did not battle that bull. It just so happens the Hydreigon did when I found him and heard that you went to fight those Faceless."

"That so? Then I guess Tauros has a new sparring partner. Which means more time of training for us."

"And another scary face Sakura has to deal with."

The two shared a light laugh at the fact. Rivals and opposites they may be, they still have this sort of friendly moment.

"So, shall we get going to the lakeshore?" Riana asked. "Something tells me Azura is there."

"Eh. Why not?"

* * *

Meanwhile, at the lakeshore they spoke of, Corrin was there, along with Rocky.

"I can't stop thinking about Xander. Or about Camilla, Leo, and Elise..." she said to her Puppy Pokemon.

"Roo..." he whined in worry at her worry and rubbed against her leg.

Corrin picked up her best friend. "To think, that all this time, you were a Pokemon. I always thought there was something special about you."

Upon seeing a small smile on her face, Rocky let out a happy bark. "Ruff!"

Just then, they both heard what sounded like singing.

"Hm? What a beautiful song..." With Rocky in her arms, Corrin walked over to the source.

There, standing on a small, wooden bridge, was a girl with ridiculously long blue hair in white clothes. "Yet the waters ever change~ Flowing like time. The path is yours to climb~"

Amazed of the wonderful song being sung, Rocky jumped out of Corrin's arms and let out a happy bark. "Arf! Rockruff!"

The sound made Corrin panic, as Azura turned and saw Rocky run towards her.

"A puppy? No... A Pokemon?" she wondered, as he ran around her.

Upon hearing her stop her song, Blue, who was swimming in the lake, jumped out of the water and stood before the Rockruff, making the Rock-type stop in his tracks.

The sight of the Popplio made Corrin catch her breath. "A Pokemon?"

Her voice got Azura's attention, as she looked up at her.

"Er, hello. I'm sorry to bother you," she apologized. "I just got lost in your singing. There is something about that song captivated me..."

"You must be Princess Corrin," Azura said, looking at the armor she was wearing.

"Yes. And you are?"

"I'm Azura. A former princess of Nohr."

Hearing her title shocked Corrin. "Former? I don't understand. If that were true, surely I would have heard of you. I grew up with the Nohrian royal family..."

"I'm afraid I've been here a long time. After you were taken by the Nohrians, the Hoshidan forces retaliated. They tried desperately to get you back, but they failed again and again. However, I wasn't as heavily guarded. Hoshidan ninja easily kidnapped me," Azura explained. "I suppose we've both been hostages for most of our lives...

Corrin couldn't help but feel guilty at the story. "Gods... I'm so sorry."

"No, it's OK. I may technically be a hostage, but I've lived a happy life. The people of Hoshido have accepted me as one of their own. Even Queen Mikoto herself treats me as if I were her daughter."

"Does she? Hmm..."

Azura noticed the conflicted look on Corrin's face. "Did something happen between you and Queen Mikoto?"

"No. I just don't know what to do. She seems perfectly lovely, but I don't feel any connection to her. But she loves me. And so do all my blood siblings, who I've just met."

"I understand. If I were to return to Nohr, I suspect I'd feel the same way."

"Do you think you could start over there? Live a new life among strangers?"

"No. Given a choice, I would prefer to stay here in Hoshido. Queen Mikoto is a peace-loving ruler. King Garon is not." Corrin looked down in thought at the reason. "And besides, if I was raised under King Garon, he wouldn't have let me keep my best friend if I asked out of pure innocence. Queen Mikoto saw how close I was to Blue after the short amount of time we spent together. She didn't care if he was a Pokemon; all she saw in him was someone who was my friend."

When Corrin heard that, she couldn't help but relate. Back when she first me Rocky, on her first birthday with him, her siblings found out about Rocky and told her to send him away. It wasn't until Rocky proved his worth that they decided to let him stay. If Rocky wasn't a Pokemon... she doubted they would still let her keep him.

"Arruff!"

"Pop po!"

Both girls looked at their respective Pokemon and saw the two playing a game of tag, with Popplio being 'it'. Watching the two Pokemon play quickly lifted all of Corrin's worries away, as she and Azura couldn't help but find their playing be cute.

"Those two are already getting along so well," Corrin said, holding back the urge to squeal.

"Yes, indeed. Raised in different kingdoms at war, and yet look at them," Azura agreed.

* * *

When Riana and Adrian went to the lakeshore, they had expected Azura and Blue to be there, but they didn't expect to find Corrin and Rocky with them.

"Well, they're getting along well enough," Riana said, watching the two Pokemon play with their human friend watching.

"I suppose so," Adrian couldn't help but agree. "Hey, Little Miss Princess!"

Azura and Corrin both looked up and saw the two trainers approaching them.

"Oh. Hello Adrian, Riana. I was wondering where you two were. Did you already have your battle?" the former princess asked.

"We're actually about to," the female retainer told her princess. "I see you've met our new guest."

"And I assume you have as well?"

"Yes." To Corrin, Riana reintroduced herself. "Allow me to properly introduce myself. I'm Riana, a Pokemon trainer from the Pokemon world, and Azura's retainer. And this is Adrian, also a Pokemon trainer of the Pokemon world and also Azura's retainer."

"You're both trainers?" Corrin asked. "Are all Hoshidan retainers Pokemon trainers?"

"It's only the two of us so far," Adrian answered in Riana's place. "Haven't met anyone else who is a trainer. Those we've met so far with Pokemon are just people who are living in peace with them after the announcement Mikoto and Riana here made some time ago."

This made Corrin even more confused as she looked over to her fellow princess. "Until a month ago, I never really had retainers. No one would want to be my retainer because, despite being accepted into the kingdom, they didn't want to be anywhere near a Nohrian. And if not me, then it'd be because of Blue; they didn't know what Blue was, and didn't want to be anywhere near him."

"That's horrible," Corrin said, feeling sad for Azura and Blue for being treated that way.

"Yes. But then again, it's because I didn't have retainers, I have made a friend who became my retainer and my teacher."

"Hey, hey, hey. I know you're kind of training under me, but that doesn't really make me your teacher," Riana said.

"True, but you do act like a teacher at times."

Adrian groaned at the small talk being made. "Enough with the chit-chat. Can we just get on with the battling already?"

Riana and Azura looked at each other and shrugged, while Corrin looked at the trio in confusion.

As soon as the two natural trainers took their position on either side of the field, with Blue and Rocky sitting on the side with their trainers.

"What does he mean by 'battling'?" Corrin asked Azura.

"Exactly as he mean," she answered. "Where they come from, Pokemon battle is a very popular sport, where trainers have their Pokemon battle against another Pokemon."

"Wait. They pit Pokemon to fight against each other?"

"I understand your concern. I thought that as well. But Pokemon are very intelligent creatures, as I'm sure you know. If they sense their trainer is incompetent, they abandon their trainers and return to the wild. Plus, as I said, Pokemon battling is a very popular sport. Wild Pokemon take part in it too, whether it was against a trainer and their Pokemon or another wild Pokemon. What's important in Pokemon battles, besides getting stronger, is increasing the bond between trainer and Pokemon."

Corrin turned to the two trainers who were about to battle, wondering if Pokemon battling really is more than just a battle.

"So? What battle this time?" Riana asked.

"Considering our special guest is a Rockruff, how about a Lycanroc battle?" Adrian suggested. "I want that Rockruff and its trainer see which Lycanroc is the better Lycanroc to evolve to."

While Rocky, who was aware of his species since the day he was born, was looking on in awe, with his tail wagging and eyes already sparkling, Corrin looked at him in confusion, before realizing Adrian meant herself and Rocky.

"Sure thing. Lycanroc, let's go!" Riana called upon her Midday Wolf Pokemon.

"Midnight! It's time for battle!" Adrian called upon his Midnight Lycanroc.

"Those two look similar, yet so different!" Corrin noticed.

"Yes. From what Riana told me, her Lycanroc evolved from a Rockruff during the day time, while Adrian's Lycanroc evolved during the night time," Azura explained. "Some Pokemon have various evolutions they can evolve to when the conditions are met, while most others evolve when they become strong enough. Of course, there are some Pokemon that don't evolve at all."

"And those two forms are what Rocky can evolve into?"

"Yes. Depending on the time of day and if it has enough experience to undergo an evolution."

Corrin looked back to the battle, then down to her Rocky. The Puppy Pokemon seemed overjoyed to see his two evolved forms facing each other like so, as seen when his tail was wagging like crazy.

"Hey Azura! Can you give us the okay to start, please?" Riana asked their princess.

Azura nodded and looked to both sides. Once she saw both the trainers and the Pokemon ready for battle, she declared, "Let the battle begin!"


	10. Invasion

**Finally done with this chapter! Now that school is back on, work has been a bigger pain! Especially when you have kids running around and making a mess of things! But! At the very least! This chapter is done!**

 **Oh! And a message! To any of you pure Pokemon fans out there, you may know this person, but a friend of mine, MBenz4268, had started up a new Pokemon story, taking place after Ultra Sun and Moon! I recommend you guys check it out!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Fire Emblem of any kind for either of them. I do, however, own my OC. Adrian is owned by Antex- The Legendary Zoroark.**

* * *

"Normal people talking"

' _Thoughts_ '

" _ **Z-MOVE!**_ "

" _ **Dragon-type Pokemon talking**_ " Only from Corrin's perspective

" _Pokemon talking_ "

* * *

The next day, Corrin was strolling around the castle with Rocky, taking in the many scenery around her. She stopped in her tracks as she saw Riana training with her Pokemon on the field.

"They're still going at it? I can't believe it," she said. "After training so hard last night, I thought those two would take the morning to relax. I hope they aren't training their Pokemon too hard."

"That's what I used to think," came Azura's voice.

Corrin looked up and saw the girl and her Popplio approaching them, their attention on the natural trainers.

"Good morning, Azura," Corrin greeted.

"Good morning, Corrin," she greeted back. "You'd never think any of them would still have the energy to keep training after last night. Especially those Lycanroc." Corrin nodded in agreement.

Last night, while the two trainers were having their Lycanroc battle, a servant arrived and told them that dinner was soon to be ready, thus ending it in a draw. When they arrived at the dining room, where the rest of the royal family were, they all sat on pillows, waiting for the food to arrive. As they waited, Hinoka taught Corrin how Hoshido have their meals. The long-lost princess caught on fast, except when it came to chopsticks. As soon as the food arrived though... let's just say she was surprised to see how fast Riana and Adrian can eat, as well as their Pokemon. The group ate so fast, one could hear the sound of jackhammers working away, not that any of the Hoshidans knew what a jackhammer is. After their speedy meals, Corrin was even more shocked to see Azura's two retainers head their separate ways to train with their team.

To say that everyone was amused by her expressions was an understatement, especially with what came next. After dinner, Azura took Corrin back to the lakeshore where Riana was training her team. So to say, the girl had the same expression and thought the royal family had when she saw her train her team.

' _I am glad we're not enemies..._ ' she thought that time.

As if that wasn't enough, after some time of sparring, the girl used herself as target practice for the Pokemon to attack. Corrin didn't know how many times her heart stopped when she saw Riana take some attacks that could've killed her. Likewise, she didn't know how many times she was amazed that the girl survived from all of those hits. And when the Z-Move training came in? ... Corrin was both shocked and speechless at the sheer power each of those moves had.

"Just remembering her training last night frightens me so," Corrin said out loud.

"You'll get used to it," Azura told her.

"I doubt it." Corrin looked down and noticed Rocky intensely watching Riana's Pokemon's training, especially one certain Pokemon from the team. She even saw the Puppy Pokemon attempt to copy some of the same movements as that Pokemon. "Do you want a closer look?"

Rocky looked up at her at the question and happily nodded.

* * *

The two princesses and their Pokemon found themselves at the field, where Riana was doing push-ups with her Pokemon. The trainer was counting as they simultaneously pushed themselves off the ground.

"Ninety-eight... Ninety-nine... One hundred!" Once they reached that number, all seven of them either fell on their front or rolled on their backs in exhaustion. "We still have a long way to go to go back to our usual workouts if we get this tired at one hundred pushups."

' _Usual work out?! Human, Pokemon or neither, no one is able to go past a hundred push ups!_ ' Corrin thought in shock.

Upon noticing the princesses, Riana sat up from her spot. "Oh, Corrin and Azura! How's it going?" she greeted.

"We were just watching you train from up there at the castle. Our Pokemon wanted to take a closer look, so we came here," Azura explained.

"That so? Well, as much as we want to do more, after all that morning training, we're going to catch a break here. Sorry for making you guys waste your trip."

"It's not a problem."

Rocky rushed to Lycanroc's side and happily barked at him. The way the Rockruff was acting, it seemed as though he wanted to play with his evolved form. The Wolf Pokemon simply stared at his pre-evolved form.

Corrin noticed her Pokemon's actions and panicked a bit. "Ah! Rocky! You can't bother Lynca-... Lincoln..."

"Lycanroc," Azura and Riana corrected.

"Yes, you can't bother Lycanroc right now." As Corrin went to pick him up, Rocky avoided her arms and ran around. "Wha-?! Hey! Get back here!" Corrin ran after him, in an attempt to prevent him from causing any more trouble to Riana's tired Pokemon. She once saw Felicia accidentally bother Xander while he was exhausted and... the results weren't pretty.

"Well, someone is energetic," the foreign trainer said.

"He's not the only one," Azura said, looking at Blue. The Popplio was blowing up a lot of balloons. He then fired some streams of water from his mouth at them, easily popping some small ones and having a bit of difficulty with the big ones.

Watching him and Rocky made Riana realize something. "How much do you two know about your Pokemon?" she asked the two princesses.

"I've known Rocky for eight years," Corrin answered, failing to catch her pup.

"You know I've known Blue for ten years," Azura answered.

"That's not what I mean." Riana's words confused them. "I'm not talking about in terms of normal life and how close you are with them; I mean in terms of battle. How much do you know of their strength and abilities?"

That... caught them both. Sure they were best friends with their Pokemon, but Corrin and Azura didn't know their fighting capabilities like Riana does with her Pokemon. Then again...

"Do we really need to know about that?" Corrin asked. "Ever since I hit puberty, Rocky and I have been training a lot."

"It's essential for every trainer to know about their Pokemon's fighting capabilities. You can't just give simple orders and hope for things to go well. Do that, and you'll never unlock their true strengths. Plus, if what you said is true, then Rocky should've evolved from his current form by now and become a Lycanroc."

Corrin knew she had a point there. Plus, there was that incident back in Nohr when she fought Kaze and Rinkah. She noticed the ninja commanding his Pokemon quite well. Had it not been for Rocky doing whatever miracle he had done back then, she, Jakob and Gunter would've been in huge amount of trouble.

"How do you propose we do it?" she asked Riana.

"Easy. Have a Pokemon battle against each other," the trainer answered, much to their surprise. "It's the easiest way to do it. Not only will you know the four moves your Pokemon currently knows, you'll also get some leading experience. I don't know much about royalties, but there will come a time will you two will have to lead people to do something, right? Now's a good time to get some experience. And also, there will come a time when your Pokemon will need your guidance in times of fighting. Plus, this is a good time to see the results of all that training you and Blue have done with us, Azura."

The two looked at each other, unsure if they really should have that battle.

"It's too late to be unsure now. Look at your partners." At Riana's words, Corrin and Azura looked at their Pokemon and were taken aback by the cute, expecting looks on their faces. Both Rocky and Blue's eyes were wide, puppy-dogish and full of sparkles. Not only that, the background was somehow replaced with a, innocent, pinkish background and bubbles. And it didn't help that both Pokemon let out some whining sounds.

' _How can I say no to that face?!_ ' Corrin mentally asked, crying anime tears.

' _I can never say no now..._ ' Azura thought, also crying anime tears.

Next thing the two princesses knew, they stood on either side of the field with their partners, with Riana and her Pokemon sitting by the sidelines.

The girl got up from her spot. "Now then, I think it's fair that I'll be the referee for this match," she said.

"Referee?" Corrin asked.

"In Riana's world, when two trainers fight, there's usually a third person who acts as a referee, a person who calls the wins, losses, and battle conditions," Azura explained.

"That's right. This battle will be one-on-one. When one side's Pokemon is unable to fight, the battle is over. Usually in Pokemon battles, trainer calls out the Pokemon's moves, but since this is your first time battling with your partners, and this is a different world, the Pokemon will start off with using moves they already know and I'll explain what moves they used and what they can do. Does that sound good?" Riana asked. Both the princesses and their partners nodded at the condition. "In that case, let the battle begin!"

That caught Corrin off guard. "Huh? Right now? But we-" Before she could finish her sentence, Rocky already charged in with his fiery fangs.

"A Rockruff that knows Fire Fang?! That's the first time I'm seeing it!" Riana exclaimed in shock.

Before the attack could hit, though, Blue rubbed his eyes with his flippers and suddenly looked at Rocky with baby-doll eyes. On cue, the Rockruff skidded to a halt, just enough to be directly in front of his opponent, his fangs still burning. This action caught the princesses off guard.

"Baby-Doll Eyes. Always a smart move to use first to weaken the opposing Pokemon's attack power," Riana stated.

"That's actually a move?!" Corrin gasped in shock.

Just as Rocky slowly and lightly give the Popplio some hot nibbles, the Water-type suddenly let out a stream of water from its mouth at him. The force behind the attack was strong enough to push the Rockruff away from him.

"Rocky!" Corrin cried out. To Riana, she said, "Hey! That has to be a foul!"

"There's no 'foul' in Pokemon battles. Not unless if it involves getting innocent bystanders involved that is," the trainer said. "Though that was sneaky. To use a Water Gun right after Baby-Doll Eyes. Blue is quite clever."

The Popplio puffed his chest out at the compliment.

"Rocky, are you okay?" Corrin asked.

The Rockruff shook the water off his fur and got his head back into the battle. He then let out a loud howl.

"Oh! Good thing Rocky knows Howl! The attack power he lost is back to normal!" Riana informed.

"Howling is also a move?" Azura questioned.

Rocky then charged in to tackle Blue, who was suddenly cloaked in water and charged back. The two Pokemon collided and knocked each other back, though Blue's attack seemed more superior than Rocky's.

"A Tackle and an Aqua Jet. From those two attacks, I can see those two were especially well training themselves in those physical attacks," Riana said.

Both Corrin and Azura had to agree with her on that one. For the former's case, Rocky didn't just spend his training time on his fiery fangs; he also often rammed himself into the person training them, and it seemed like it hurt a lot. As for the latter's case, Blue always spent his time swimming so swiftly in the lake.

"Okay, that makes three moves from both sides so far," Riana informed. "Is there going to be a fourth?"

As if to answer her question, Rocky closed his eyes and seemed to be concentrating hard on something. That something got the rocks on his neck to glow and a small orb to faintly appear on his tail.

Corrin immediately recognized that pose. "That's! From that time back in Nohr!"

"That move... Is that...?" Riana was familiar with that attack from her Lycanroc back when he was a Rockruff. But, something was off about it compared to what she remembered.

The Wolf Pokemon in question paid specially close attention on Rocky since the fight began. His eyes narrowed at when the pup was trying to use a move familiar to him and his trainer.

As for Blue, on the other hand, didn't let Rocky finish pulling off the attack, as he let out a cry of music notes towards the Rock-type.

"Rocky! Look out!" Corrin warned. However, it was too late, as the attack was going to hit... or so many thought.

At the last second, Lycanroc intervened the attack with an Accelerock, taking the hit for his junior. The girls, Rocky, and Blue were shocked to see this happen, as the Rockruff cancelled his own move. The Wolf Pokemon shook off the attack dealt to him and walked to the Puppy Pokemon. Lycanroc picked Rocky up by the scruff of his neck and started walking off to somewhere.

"Hey wait! Where are you going with Rocky?!" Corrin asked.

"Corrin, it's fine," Riana told her.

"How is it fine?"

"To put it simply, Lycanroc has a student of his own now." Her answer confused the princess even more. "That move Rocky was trying to use was Rock Throw. But he was taking too long to use it. Usually, once the rocks on his neck glows, Rockruff are able to fire it no problem. But not only did it take him a while to fire that move, Rocky was also concentrating too hard to try and use it. He hasn't completely mastered the move yet. Lycanroc had a similar problem once and took it upon himself to teach your Rockruff how their kind should really fight."

Corrin looked back at the two Rock-types distancing themselves away from the group, puzzled and touched at how kind Riana's Pokemon was to take time to train her Pokemon.

"I don't know about you, but this is something I want to see," Riana added, as she recalled her team and ran after her Lycanroc. "Hey, Lycanroc! Let me help you train him!" The Wolf Pokemon let out a small grunt, keeping his grip on the struggling Puppy Pokemon.

"Wait! Let me come with!" Corrin said, running after them.

Azura stood there, with Blue jumping into her arms. "Do you think we should follow them?" she asked him.

"Pop po!" he nodded.

"Yeah. I think so, too." With that, she followed the two girls and the two Rock-type Pokemon.

* * *

The group arrived at a remote area, near Bottomless Canyon. There, Lycanroc let Rocky down.

"Okay, Rocky. You're probably wondering why we're all here," Riana said to the Rockruff. "As you can guess, my Lycanroc here took some interest in you and decided to give you a bit of training himself. Especially with your Rock Throw."

The Rockruff tilted his head in slight confusion.

"You know, back when you were concentrating on using that last move. The rocks on your neck glowed, and an orb of sort appeared on your tail." Rocky barked in realization to what she meant. "But, did you notice how long it took you to try to use that move?" He then looked down, saddened at the reminder and making it quite obvious that he knew himself that the move used shouldn't take so long to be used. "That's why we're going to train you!" He looked up at them in shock. "I don't know how you trained back in Nohr, but one thing's for sure, they didn't train you the way a Pokemon should be trained. That's why we're going to start from square one with you and climb our way up! Lycanroc, especially wants to help you find your roots. And besides, we did the same for Blue and, as you can see, all that training really paid off!" The girl realized something when she said that. "By the way, you two did amazing back there! Great job!"

Azura, Blue and Corrin sweat dropped at how long it took her to realize and say that.

"Now then, Rocky, what do you say? You want some special training with me and Lycanroc?" Riana asked the Puppy Pokemon.

Rocky jumped happily at the offer, jumping on Lycanroc's back and rubbing the rocks on his neck against his mane, in which the Midday Wolf didn't mind at all. He then jumped to Riana's arms and gave her a lot of his love snuggles, which were quite painful of course.

"Oh! Ow ow ow ow ow ow! Okay, okay! I get it, you're happy!" the trainer exclaimed.

Watching her Pokemon give the two his usual cuddles made Corrin pout. The princess does get quite jealous when she sees Rocky cuddle other people as much as he usually cuddles her.

After the cuddle fest was done, Rocky stood in front of his two teachers, both who were facing a boulder.

"Okay, Rocky. We'll start off with giving you a good grasp of how Rock Throw should be done," Riana instructed, getting on her hands and knees. "First, you gather your energy into the rocks on your neck. And then... you do this." She and Lycanroc shook their head up and down with a bit of force, much to the princesses' confusion.

"What are they doing?" Corrin asked.

"I don't know..." Azura answered.

The next thing the two knew, the rocks on Lycanroc's mane began to glow.

"Stone Edge!" Riana ordered. Lycanroc, in rhythm to the head shaking, brought his front legs up and slammed them down, using his most powerful move towards the targeted boulder and easily destroyed it.

"Ruff! Rockruff!" Rocky happily barked.

"Awesome, right? You can do it, too!" Riana said. Upon seeing Rocky attempt to do the same movement, she stopped him. "Hold it. I like that enthusiasm, but it's too early for you to do this phase of training. First, you have to build up that Pokemon stamina of yours. Then we have to train you to fight like a Pokemon. Only then can we get to this phase. Are you ready for this?"

"Arf ruff ruff!" the Rockruff nodded.

"Then let's start with the first exercise! Corrin, Azura and Blue, you guys join in too!"

Corrin was taken by surprise at what she said. "Us too?"

"You're Rocky's trainer after all. You should be training with him. Plus, might as well train Azura and Blue with us, since we all have the time. Now, with that being said, let's run back to Castle Shirasagi!" Without any other heads up, Riana and Lycanroc took off, with Rocky following them. Azura and Blue soon joined the group and ran as well, as did Corrin.

* * *

For the next few days, the group had been training Rocky fight like a Pokemon. For the most part, Lycanroc demonstrated some basic fighting techniques and the Rockruff just copies the movements, like dodging. It took some time but the Rockruff managed to pass each and every exercise. There were plenty of times where, during mock battles against Popplio, he tried to use Rock Throw and left himself wide open for Blue's attacks, but Lycanroc quickly intervened and took the full force of the Water-type's attacks, thus interrupting the battle and gave Rocky a good scolding about how early he still was in using the move.

After some basic battle training, the group got to work on some neck exercises for Rocky, to help make easier for him to focus energy in the rocks on his neck. Being Rocky's trainer, as Riana had said, Corrin decided to join in on her Puppy Pokemon's training, just like Riana does with her Pokemon team. Although... some parts of the training was a bit embarrassing. For one thing, it seemed like Corrin didn't know how to do pushups. For another... when it came to teaching Rocky how to aim his Rock Throw at his opponent, it involved some butt movements, which amazed Corrin and those watching from a distance how Riana was not at all embarrassed as she and Lycanroc demonstrated how Rocky should aim with his tushy.

Then, came the third day. The Rockruff learned fast, and was on the verge of perfecting the move.

"Move faster!" Riana instructed him, as he bobbed his head up and down. The Puppy Pokemon moved even faster upon her order.

Watching them were Azura, Blue and Corrin's Hoshidan siblings. As Rocky continuously moved his head, the royal family gasped in amazement as the rocks on his neck glowed.

"Now's your chance!" At Riana's signal, he prepared a Rock Throw. Compared to the previous times, the speed was much faster, as rocks formed around his tail and he fired them with great accuracy... all towards Riana.

The girl raised her arms to block them, taking the hit. Though they had seen her take her Pokemon's hits many times before, it still shocked them to see her take the attack head on.

When the dust died down, Riana stood there, arms up and quite battered. "Awesome! That attack was powerful! Just as strong as Lycanroc when he started using it!"

Rocky looked to his evolved form, barking if it was true. The Wolf Pokemon nodded, which made the Rockruff very happy.

"Just some more practice with the move, and you'll master Rock Throw in no time," Riana added.

"Isn't that great, Rocky?!" Corrin asked her pup. Rocky barked happily and jumped into her arms, giving her his usual cuddles. "Ow! Rocky!" Despite the usual pain, as always, she couldn't help but let out some giggles at the loving gesture. Everyone else also gave some laughs at the sight.

"Well you guys are having the time of your life," came Adrian's voice, as the guy approached them.

"Adrian. It can't be time for another one of our battles, is it?" Riana assumed.

"Nah. But I kind of wish it was." Adrian turned to Corrin. "Your mom's looking for ya. She's waiting in the throne room."

"She did? What for?" the princess asked.

"Never said. Only one way to find that out, isn't there?" Without another word, Adrian led the girl to the throne room, with Rocky following the two.

As they left, Azura approached Riana. "We best get going too. We have to prepare, after all," the former said.

"Prepare? For what?" the latter asked.

"We have a ceremony to get to at the plaza. Mother decided to make a public announcement on Corrin's return," Ryoma explained, as he, Hinoka, and Sakura joined the two girls.

"Before that, though, we're going to give her a tour around Hoshido. Corrin spent her time here in the castle, after all. She doesn't know what life outside this place is like yet," Hinoka said, gesturing to herself and the younger siblings.

"I see. I hope you guys have fun then," Riana said.

"What are you talking about? You're coming with us," Azura said, much to the trainer's surprise.

"Huh? But I thought this is more of a family thing."

"Well, in a way, you're also part of the family too, aren't you?" Hinoka told her. "I mean, there are times when you train with us, you eat with us, you even helped take care of some of our pegasi here. Plus, we never really said this was a family thing."

"Besides, it'll be good for you to catch a break every once in a while," Sakura added.

"Especially since you're the one wasting out precious vulneraries," Takumi also added in a grumble.

Riana nervously chuckled at the last part, as she looked at her injured self. "Well, you guys do have a point there. Plus, it's been a while since I last went to town. I wonder how things changed. Plus, I could go for some good takoyaki. Speaking of, I wonder how that guy and his Carnivine are doing. It's really been a long while since I last saw them. Oh! And I wonder if there are more Pokemon in town now! Even if they're just bird Pokemon passing through, I wonder if we're going to see any other Pokemon in town! I've noticed some soldiers have been walking around with Pokemon of their own, so I'm curious to see what other Pokemon we'll meet in town!" The moment she mentioned Pokemon, her eyes were sparkling quite brightly. In fact, it was so bright, the royal children couldn't help but feel a bit blinded by how happy and enthusiastic she suddenly became.

' _How clear her love for Pokemon is..._ ' they all thought.

"You should get yourself healed and cleaned up first," Ryoma suggested.

Riana looked down at herself at the suggestion and went to the castle to get herself cleaned up.

* * *

After the girl got washed up and changed into a black stripped halter top, gray distressed jeans, and blue over-the-knee socks, she joined the royal siblings, minus Ryoma, in giving Corrin a tour around Shirasagi Castle Town. To her surprise, Adrian was also with them.

"I didn't think you'd be interested in giving tours," she said to him.

"I wasn't. They dragged me into it. Especially after their mom decided that I should also give Innocent Little Missy there a tour," Adrian said.

"First you call Azura 'Little Miss Princess', now you're calling Corrin 'Innocent Little Missy'? What's next? Calling Hinoka 'Little Warrior Princess' or something like that?"

"I'm calling it as I see it. Besides, after that reaction the other day, how else am I suppose to think of her if not 'innocent'. Naive? ... Actually, thinking about it now, Naive Little Missy has a nice ring to it, too."

Riana sighed at his stubbornness to call others by names. Heck, she never heard him refer to anyone else by their names. "And here I thought you would at least call our guest by her name," she muttered.

"You call her guest, when she's Mikoto's daughter. Besides, the day I call her by her name will be the day she becomes a decent Pokemon trainer."

Riana sighed once again and turned her attention to her surroundings. As expected, compared to when she last visited, there were more Pokemon in town. Kids were seen playing with a couple, teens and young adults were shopping around with their Pokemon, and the shop keepers were running their business with their Pokemon assisting them in any way they can.

' _Feels like I'm back in Alola,_ ' she thought.

"Hey, trainer girl!" shouted a familiar voice. Riana turned and saw the takoyaki guy and his Carnivine waving at her.

"Oh hey!" she waved back, approaching the duo and their stand. "It's been a while. How are you guys?"

"That's my line. We haven't seen you since last month," the owner said.

"Heh. Yeah, kind of got busy back at the castle."

"So I see and heard. So... what do you think of the town now?"

Riana looked back at the market place when he asked that. "Kind of feels like home," she answered honestly.

"Yeah, we're getting there. Strange to think that a couple months ago, we saw these guys as hostile creatures that may be worse than those Faceless around here. And yet, here we are with these guys." Without looking, the owner slapped Carnivine's hand(?), preventing the Grass-type from stealing any takoyakis. "How many times do I have to tell you those are for the customers?"

"Carni," the Pokemon chuckled, putting a hand on the back of his head.

"Well, he does like your takoyakis, doesn't he?" Riana asked, buying a box for Carnivine, in which he happily accepted.

"Sure does. And I've been feeding him these as payment for helping out too," the owner added.

"Riana!" came Corrin's voice.

The trio turned and saw the princess, her siblings, Rocky, Azura, Blue, and Adrian approaching her.

"You shouldn't separate from us like that. You could get lost," Hinoka told her.

"Sorry about that. I was busy catching up with an old friend here," the female trainer apologized.

"Is this the place where you got those takoyakis the other day?" Sakura noticed.

"Sure is," the owner answered for her. "Been a while since then too."

"Corrin, you and Rocky should try some. They're really good," Azura said.

"Okay." Corrin bought a box for herself and her Rockruff. The two tried a ball and couldn't believe how good it was.

"What do you think? Delicious, isn't it?" Riana asked.

"It's hot, but it's really good!" the Nohrian-armored princess exclaimed, with Rocky nodding in agreement.

"Glad you like it!" the owner said. "In fact, why not take another box? On the house."

Hearing that offer surprised Corrin. "Are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure. Think of it as my way of saying welcome back!"

Gratefully accepting the box, Corrin looked around the market. "Everyone really is friendly here. And it's so... bright... and open. It's quite a contrast from the fortress I grew up in."

"I'm glad you like it. Like I said, I've always been happy here," Azura said.

"Just don't get too comfortable... SISTER," Takumi said with a hint of malice in his tone.

Corrin looked at him in confusion. "Pardon me?"

"I don't trust you. Shouldn't you be heading back to Nohr soon?"

Azura couldn't believe the tone he was using. "Takumi..."

"Hey, who said you could call me by name? You haven't earned that privilege either," he snapped at her.

"Hey, hold up there, Takumi. Where's this coming from?" Riana asked, with Blue barking in agreement.

"Don't bark at me, you little sea lion! And it's Prince Takumi to you, foreigner!"

"Hey! Who said you can act all high and mighty all of a sudden here?" Adrian questioned. "Besides, Little Miss Princess here's been a part of your family just as long as Naive Little Missy's been gone. So like it or not, you're family, especially since your mother is the one calling the shots, and not you."

Irritated at how he was being scolded like so, Takumi retorted, "I don't care!" Unfortunately the shout was so loud, it grabbed the attention of everyone around them. The young prince felt embarrassed with all the attention turned to him like so and, as calm as possible, said, "I don't trust any of you or these creatures. I just wanted to tell you that to your face." With that, he left the group.

"I know he's the second prince, but what's his problem?" the takoyaki owner asked.

"I don't know. I know he didn't trust me or Adrian, but still. He usually just stays silent and ignores us," Riana said.

"I apologize for Takumi's rudeness. He's a bit of a hothead," Sakura said.

"That's putting it mildly," Adrian stated under his breath.

"Anyway, how'd you like to try a sweet rice dumpling? It's a Hoshidan specialty!" Sakura presented some sweets to Corrin.

"I'd love to. Thanks, Sakura!" she thanked.

"You're welcome!"

Rocky jumped and barked, wanting to try some of the sweets too.

"Of course you can have some as well, Rocky," the young princess said, giving one to the Rock-type Pokemon.

If Corrin had thought of Pokemon as normal animals that couldn't eat what humans could, she'd stop her little sister. But after staying with her Hoshidan family for a while and having meals with them and the Pokemon, she had learned that Pokemon can eat pretty much whatever humans could eat, even if they did look like normal animals.

"You know, I'm very close with a girl in Nohr who's around your age," Corrin said to Sakura.

"Oh? What's she like?" she asked.

"Well, she's generous and kind. Always putting the need of others first..."

Before Corrin could say anymore about Elise, Hinoka called out to the group. "All right, everyone. The ceremony is starting. Let's head to the plaza!"

* * *

When they arrived at the plaza, Mikoto was making her speech about Corrin's return. Already, the people all seemed happy to have their missing princess back. And though they know not of Corrin or the story of her being missing all those years ago, the Pokemon were just as happy to see her in Hoshido and were happy for the humans they were with that she had returned after all these years. Although... they couldn't help but feel something off about this day... Even Adrian felt something was off, as he took out a Pokeball from his person.

"What's wrong, Adrian?" Riana asked her fellow trainer, noticing this movement.

"Something's not right," he answered.

"On a peaceful day like this?"

Unknown to them all, however, there was one figure who was neutral to this happy day.

He reached out a hand to the sword Corrin still had from King Garon. Ganglari reacted, surprising the princess as it suddenly flew into the guy's hand. Before anyone knew it, the person slammed Ganglari down, causing a large explosion to occur. The Pokemon all did their best to protect some of the humans from the blast, as they were blown back from the force.

That wasn't the worst part of it. The worst part of it was that the fragments of Ganglari all shot towards Corrin. The princess froze as the pieces closed in on her. She didn't even notice until the last second a pair of figures jumping in front of the shards.

Mikoto let out a scream as a couple of the shards struck her back, protecting her daughter from death. Weakened and terribly injured, she fell into Corrin's arms.

"You were not hurt?" she managed to ask. "Tell me you're okay..."

"I-I'm fine," Corrin answered with a stutter.

"I'm so... glad..." With that last breath, Mikoto lay lifeless in her arms.

Corrin couldn't believe what had happened. She didn't want to believe it actually happened. She... She didn't want to see this again! Not again! "MOTHER!"

At a distance away from them, the royal siblings and the Pokemon trainers all scattered about from the blast. As Riana got up from her spot, she looked around the area and her eyes widened at the sight around her.

"This... This is..." she muttered, having another episode of that day.

Hinoka, who was right next to her, noticed the expression on her face. "Riana? Riana! Hey, snap out of it!" she told her, shaking the girl.

As she tried to snap Riana out of it, something happened to Corrin. The girl was so saddened and enraged with what happened to her mother, she let out a loud scream and changed... into a dragon. Everyone was shocked when they saw that. But none were like Riana, who was having another one of her panic attack. Corrin turning into a dragon... made it worse.

To free her from walking down that horrible memory lane, Hinoka karate chopped her from the back of her neck, knocking her unconscious. "Sorry about that..." she muttered out an apology. To the soldiers still conscious, she then shouted, "Get all the civilians out of here! Now!"

"Yes ma'am!" The soldiers got to work with getting the survivors out of the area.

Before they could get to their duties, soldiers, not of the Hoshidan army, suddenly appeared and attacked them.

"What the-?! Who are they?!" the first Hoshidan princess gasped.

A roar was then heard, and she turned to see Corrin sending one of the soldiers flying with a claw attack and grabbing another soldier and slamming them down on the ground.

Deciding that it was too dangerous to stay and wonder, Hinoka carried Riana on her back and head to safety, as well as leading some civilians and Pokemon to safety as well.

Meanwhile, with everyone else, Ryoma was fighting against the mysterious man responsible for this attack. Takumi was also helping out in the evacuation. Rocky, Azura, Blue and Sakura, as well as Rinkah and Kaze, did their best to assist Corrin in taking out these new enemies around them. The other Pokemon in the area, both the soldiers' and the citizens' also assisted in either helping the innocents escape or taking out the enemy. As for Adrian, he went to check on Mikoto and the Pokemon lying with her, taking them both to safety. Hey, even he can respect the fallen.

* * *

After the enemies were defeated at last, the mysterious man retreated. Ryoma made an attempt to follow after him, when he heard Corrin let out another roar. He looked and saw her still rampaging about.

Rocky rushed over and barked, getting her attention. When her attention went to him, he kept barking and whimpering and did some tricks, trying to get Corrin to come back to them. It was all for naught, however, as the dragon-princess charged at him and knocked him into some rubbles.

"Rocky!" Sakura cried out, rushing to his side and healing him.

"You are the ocean's gray waves~" they then heard. Looking to the source, everyone saw Azura calmly walking towards Corrin, singing her song as she approached.

"Azura, no! Stop!" Ryoma called out.

When he tried to rush to her, Blue got in his way, standing on his back flippers and spreading his arms(?) out. Adding the look the sea lion was giving and how he was shaking his head, it was as though he was telling the first prince not to interfere.

"What are you doing, Blue?! Azura's in danger!"

"Pop po!" the Popplio denied once more.

Taking her chance to do what she planned to, Azura continued onwards to Corrin. "You are the ocean's gray waves~ Destined to seek, life beyond the shore just out of reach~" Corrin moved away from Azura, as if frightened by the song, while the girl continued to approach. "Yet the waters ever change~" Not wanting to hear any more, the dragon-turned princess swiped a claw at her and knocked her down with a scream.

"No!" Sakura cried out, covering her face with her hands, unwilling to see what comes next.

Corrin let out a roar of what seemed to be relief, until- "Flowing like time... The path is... yours to climb~" Azura was still singing her song.

The dragon grabbed her by the neck and held her down.

"Kill me if you want," the songstress told her. "But... do it as yourself..."

As this went on, Rocky got back up and shook off the dizziness he felt from that hit. Looking up and seeing his dragon-turned bestie going to kill one of their friends, he quickly barked and rushed at the two.

"Rocky! Don't!" Sakura tried to stop him, but the Rockruff was too fast for her and was already at the two.

Rocky grabbed Corrin by her dragon hand, the one holding Azura down. Whether she was shocked by the sudden touch or took it as an attack, no one knew, but Corrin released her hold on Azura and knocked the Rockruff away again. Upon seeing him get back up she flew to the Pokemon and slammed her claw down, with the intent to crush him.

"Corrin, stop!" Azura managed to cry out. "Can you really not see?! It's Rocky!"

As though hearing her words, the dragon brought her face close to the injured Puppy Pokemon. Rocky looked back at Corrin and let out another whimper. Once her face was close enough, he gave her a weak lick. Corrin paused at the lick and slowly released him. With one last roar, she finally managed to revert back to her normal self.

Once she returned to normal, Corrin clutched her head and let out a scream. "Ughhh... I... I finally remember! I remember..." she cried out.

She referred to the day she was kidnapped. She had finally remembered... how her father, King Sumeragi, brought her to Cheve, as per request of King Garon, and how the Nohrian King in question actually ambushed the Hoshidan King. Sumeragi didn't want his daughter to get hurt and took all the arrows, not letting a single one get to Corrin. As honorable as it was, Garon only found this action foolish and killed him in cold-blood. After that, he took Corrin in as his child and somehow erased her memories right after that.

"My real father..." she uttered out, shedding tears for the deceased king.

"Are you all right, Corrin?" Azura asked, as she and Rocky limped to her side.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just disgusted myself," she answered. "Are you two okay? I can't believe what I just did to you. It was like... I had no control over myself."

"Please don't worry about it. That wasn't you. It was the blood of the ancient dragon that runs in your veins."

Rocky limped in Corrin's arms, giving her some licks, agreeing with Azura's words.

"I thought only the Nohrian royal family had dragon blood," Corrin said, hugging Rocky close to her.

"The blood of the Dusk Dragon runs in the Nohrian royal family. And the blood of the Dawn Dragon runs through ours," Ryoma explained. "But you're special, Corrin. You can actually take the form of a dragon."

"I've heard of such a thing. But this is my first time seeing it in real life..."

It was here, Corrin realized something. "Never mind me. What happened to all the innocent people in town?" She looked around and was devastated with what had become of the plaza. "I can't believe this. The entire town... devastated. An hour ago these streets were filled with vendors and children and..."

"So you see, Corrin. This is the work of the Nohrians. This is what they do," Ryoma told her. "Let me guess. That sword you carried... was it a gift from King Garon?"

"Yes," she confirmed.

"He masterminded the whole thing. It's not your fault. He knew you'll be captured and brought before the queen..."

"But why? Why would he do this? I'm so sorry I couldn't see it coming..."

While most people knew how kind and sincere she was, there was one person who didn't think it so. "Your apology means NOTHING!" Takumi shouted, silencing her. "This is all your fault! Mother is dead, and countless others would have too, if those magical creatures weren't here. And it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't show up on our doorstep. You don't belong here!"

"Enough, Takumi!" Ryoma scolded.

"Your words don't change anything. And besides-" Azura tried to reason.

"Shut up, Azura! You're no different than Corrin. An interloper," the second prince harshly told her.

"Takumi..." Corrin tried to reach out to him.

"Don't speak my name. I don't want to see you again. Are we really to believe you had no idea this would happen?"

"Takumi, what are you saying? Knock it off! You just saw Corrin help us defeat those Nohrian soldiers!" Hinoka scolded, returning to the group.

"Takumi, please. You must listen. Corrin is your sister. If you don't trust me, that's one thing. But Corrin is your own blood," Azura tried to reason.

"Mother is dead. Thanks to her. She's not my sister," Takumi said.

"Hey Sir Uptight Boya," Adrian called, getting his attention.

"What did you just-?!" Before he could demand what Azura's male retainer called him, Adrian delivered a punch to his face, knocking him down, hard. This action surprised everyone in the area.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" he demanded the prince. "Naive Little Missy doesn't belong here?! The queen is dead because of her?! She's not your sister?! Who are you to make those claims?!" The group was even more shocked with the tone he used; it was more harsh than when he met Riana.

"I only speak the truth!" Takumi exclaimed.

"No. You're blaming her for something that isn't her fault! So that sword she got was from that sick king of Nohr, so what?! She didn't use that sword to kill Queen Mikoto! Your mother may have died to protect her, but that was her decision! And maybe she went crazy after turning into that dragon form of hers, but that didn't mean she went and destroyed what was left of this plaza on purpose!"

"And just what do you know, you trainer?! You're from a world different from ours! You have no right to get into this business!"

"As a matter of fact, I do have a right! As Azura's retainer and someone who's been living under the same roof as you guys for the past month! Act all high and mighty all you want, but you want truth? The truth of this is that you're nothing but a crybaby of a prince who thinks things can be solved by pointing fingers at the innocents! And your own family who's been missing for years at that!"

Takumi got back up and grabbed him by the collar. "What'd you say?! Take that back, this instant!"

"I should take it back. But only because I don't know what it's like to have a loving family like you guys do." Everyone, even Takumi went silent at those words. The second prince slowly let go of the guy. "You guys are family... So treat each other like one."

"I'm so sorry, everyone," Corrin spoke. "I've brought nothing but pain to all of you. It would be better if I'd never come here. Maybe I should just leave."

"Please wait. I don't believe that's what Queen Mikoto would have wanted," said Yukimura, Mikoto's personal tactician.

"What do you know about it, Yukimura?" Takumi questioned with a hint of malice.

"What do you mean? Did she say something to you?" Ryoma followed, a lot more calmly than his brother.

"I hate to deliver this news, but... Queen Mikoto foresaw her own death." Everyone was shocked at this revelation. "This isn't your fault, Corrin. King Garon set these events in motion. And the queen speculated that there may be an even darker force at work. She didn't know when or how death would strike, only that it was certain. And there's one other thing. Please take a look at that statue."

Everyone turned to the statue and saw something sticking out of the center.

"Is that... a sword?" Corrin asked.

Ryoma was the only one to recognize the blade. "It can't be..."

"It is. The divine sword Yato," Yukimura said. "Muck like your weapon, Ryoma. The divine Raijinto... And your Fujin Yumi, Takumi... Yato may be wielded by only a singular warrior. One who is chosen by the blade itself. It is said that the Yato was forged to be the key to peace in our world."

"The key to peace..."

Before anyone knew it, the sword flew out of the statue and into her hand.

"The blade has chosen Corrin!" Ryoma exclaimed.

Takumi was speechless at the sight. "Impossible."

"Corrin, do you know what this means?" Hinoka asked her.

The girl remained unresponsive, as she stared at Yato.

"Corrin? Are you listening? Can you h-hear us?" Sakura asked.

Rocky nudged against her leg, trying to get a reaction from Corrin. "Roo?"

Corrin looked down at her Pokemon and realized one thing. "Where's Riana?" she asked.

Everyone else also noticed how the girl wasn't among them. Before Takumi could claim her to be a traitor, Hinoka told them what happened. "Well, Corrin... When you turned into that dragon, and adding in this little scenery around us, it... kind of made her remember something she didn't want to remember. So I knocked her out." She looked to the side as she said that, where the still unconscious Riana sat, leaning against a tree. At her words, the rest of the Hoshidan royals understood what she meant.

Corrin and Adrian were the only ones who didn't know what she meant, but both could tell it was something serious. Heck, even Takumi was silent, and she kind of expected him to be the one to say something about what Hinoka said.

Just then, Kaze approached them. "Lord Ryoma! I have important news. A massive Nohrian force is gathering at our border," he informed.

At the mention of their mortal enemies, the first prince clenched his trembling fist in anger. "This is the final straw. I have worked hard to avoid an all-out war, but now... Death is too good for them. Who's with me?"

Everyone nodded and followed him to the border, leaving Corrin, Azura, Adrian, and their Pokemon with Riana.

"There must be another way," Corrin muttered. "Surely the answer is not more bloodshed. But I feel I must follow Ryoma to the border. If I can help avert total war..."

"Wait, Corrin! There's something you need to know," Azura called out. "If you become embroiled in a fight right now, it would be easy to lose control. Your dragon blood could take over again. And if you yield completely to the dragon, you may lose your humanity altogether."

"If that happens, then no one is safe around you," Adrian added bluntly.

Corrin was shocked to hear that. "Is there anything I can do?"

Thankfully, Azura gave her a positive answer, as she took out a blue stone. "Yes. This is called a Dragonstone. It will allow you to control the dragon's power and still return to your human form. Now, please close your eyes..."

"Very well..." Corrin did as told and had her eyes closed.

Azura conjured up the stone for Corrin, having it glow and connect with her. Soon enough, she was done. "There. You should be OK now. This Dragonstone is now attuned to you. Be sure to keep it safe."

"Thank you, Azura. I don't know that I'd do without you," Corrin said gratefully.

Azura was surprised with the gratitude, in which Corrin noticed. "I'm sorry. Did I make you uncomfortable? I know we've known each other only a short while, but I feel close to you. It's one thing if it was Rocky, but you also risked your life to help calm my dragon form earlier. I only hope I can repay the favor someday."

A smile formed on Azura's face. "Thank you, Corrin. I feel close to you as well. I feel... safe when I'm with you," she admitted. "I wish to keep you safe too. That's why I'm coming with you to face Nohr."

Corrin nodded and was about to leave, when she saw Adrian approach the body of her late mother and what seemed like a coffin lying not far from her. She tried not to be reminded of what had happened, and to not feel guilty for what had occurred, and asked him, "What are you doing, Adrian?"

"Well... Someone has to give your mother a proper burial. And inform Riana and get her up to speed when she wakes up. Plus, this Pokemon here also did tried to help protect you," he said. "I'll catch up with you girls later."

The two didn't want to leave him behind, but what was more important at the moment was the war at hand. And as such, they, along with Rocky and Blue, took off to the border.

"Just one more thing!" Adrian called before they were out of hearing distance. The two princesses and their partners stopped in their tracks and looked back at him. "What I said about family earlier, I mean it. You have a family in Nohr too, don't you? Then shouldn't it be your job as the princess of both kingdoms to get her siblings to get along with each other somehow?"

Corrin looked down when he said that and stared at Yato in her hand. Thinking back to what Yukimura said about it, thinking over what Adrian had said, and recalling her time with both her families... she knew what she had to do.

As the group of four continued their leave, Adrian looked down at the coffin. "... How much longer are you going to play dead?"

Part of the front of the coffin suddenly slid open, revealing a snickering face. "Cofafafafafa!"

Letting out a small sigh, Adrian turned to Mikoto. "Now then... I trust you do not do anything to her."

The Pokemon had a shadowy arm form out of it and saluted, as it then opened itself up.


	11. Into the Ground, Off the Canyon

**Back at last! So sorry for the wait, people. But, I am back and this story here has another update! As well as a couple others! That being said, enjoy the chapter!**

 **And Happy Thanksgiving!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Fire Emblem of any kind for either of them. I do, however, own my OC. Adrian is owned by Antex- The Legendary Zoroark.**

* * *

"Normal people talking"

' _Thoughts_ '

" _ **Z-MOVE!**_ "

" _ **Dragon-type Pokemon talking**_ " Only from Corrin's perspective

" _Pokemon talking_ "

* * *

She dreamt of it again. The one thing she didn't want to dream or remember.

It was a dark night on Ten Carat Hill. There, Riana stared, wide eyes, as her Pokemon team all fell, defeated by _it_. Only two Pokemon remained, one more injured than the other, but with enough fighting spirit to keep fighting along side it.

"Don't do it!" she shouted.

Unfortunately, the two Pokemon ignored her cries and charged at _it_. Their opponent unleashed a powerful attack, stopping one of them. The other, Incineroar, was unaffected by the attack and kept charging through. He tried to land a good Darkest Lariat at the enemy, but it managed to avoid the attack. Incineroar looked around, trying to find the target. However, it grabbed him from behind and started wringing him out like a towel. Incineroar let out a roar in pain as _it_ did its attack.

"Incineroar!" Riana cried out.

Her last, remaining Pokemon saw this action and charged at the enemy Pokemon. It knocked it down, forcing it to release Incineroar and get in a one-on-one battle with it.

"Nebby! Stop!" Riana shouted, knowing that, even if it is a Legendary Pokemon, it stood no chance against this Pokemon.

True to her words, no matter how hard it fought, Nebby didn't stand a chance; it was just fighting a losing battle. And at the end of it all, not only did he get defeated... That Pokemon... absorbed Nebby.

It was one thing to see her Pokemon team be defeated, brutally. But to see one of her member be taken like so, especially the one Pokemon she promised she'd take care of... that had done the job. As if things couldn't get any worse, Incineroar, witnessing the absorption, was enraged and tried to beat _it_ off Nebby. Alas... try as he must, he couldn't get the deed done. No... If anything, he was getting even more pulverized by the possessed Nebby. And it didn't help that Incineroar didn't want to hurt his friend too much, especially considering that Nebby, or at least its body, got weakened in its battle against _it_. However, because of this... Incineroar was losing the battle. And yet, he wasn't standing down from the fight.

"Incineroar, stop! Stop fighting!" she cried out. "Please stop! You'll die at this rate!" No matter how hard she screamed, her Heel Pokemon refused to listen and continued to fight, until it could no longer stand on its own two feet.

Unfortunately, just as she thought the brutal torture was finally over, _it_ didn't think so. Instead, it assumed that the Pokemon wanted to fight some more and continued to attack it.

"Stop it! Please stop! Incineroar can't fight any more!" Riana begged. Sadly, _it_ either didn't hear her or care and continued to attack him. "Please stop it! You'll kill him! Please! Let my Pokemon go!" It didn't matter how hard she screamed, how hard she pleaded, how hard she tried to offer her own life over her Pokemon's, _it_ didn't listen.

And soon enough it slammed Incineroar down on the ground hard and prepared a powerful attack. Riana's eyes widened as she hopelessly watch the attack get charged up. She willed her body to move... but it wouldn't go. She tried to move even a finger, but all she could do was tremble. Tremble before the ferocious power that _it_ has.

"No..." The attack was done charging. "No!" It was fired. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

* * *

 _ ***REAL WORLD***_

"NOOOOOOO!" Riana shot up from her spot, pressing herself back against a tree behind her. With hyperventilating breathing, she looked around and saw destruction in the middle of Shisaragi Castle Town Plaza. One look, and she couldn't help but think back to her dream- her memory. The one memory she tried so hard to forget.

"...-ey..."

Her breathing was getting more hyperventilate, and she brought her hands up to her head, clutching it, and recalling more of that horrid moment.

"...Hey...!"

She felt arms grabbing her and, fearing for the worst, tried to get them to release her, screaming bloody murder.

 _ **SLAP!**_

A hard slap went across her cheek, causing Riana to tumble down to the ground.

"WAKE UP! And snap out of it!" she heard.

Her breathing calming down, somewhat, Riana slowly got up and looked up, coming face-to-face with Adrian.

"A-... Adrian...?" she breathed out.

"The one and only," he confirmed with a sigh. "You sure had a rough dream. You were talking in your sleep."

"It's nothing," Riana quickly said, getting up to her feet. She winced at the stinging feeling on her cheek. "You don't hold back on your slaps, do you?"

"Well, years of abuse can do that to you. And likewise, it can also tell me that you also had a bad history of sort." The Alolan Champion didn't need to ask him to know what he was referring to. "I won't ask what happened, but what I will ask- what I will demand, is you get your head out of the gutter. Because right now, our princess is entering a war zone and as her, unfortunate, retainers, we have to be there for her. And we can't do that, if you keep going back to the past like that."

Though Riana didn't know what he was talking about, she did know about the conflict between Hoshido and Nohr. And she may have missed out on a lot that had happened, but she knew that she had to get her head back in the game, march on to the battle that was to take place and help her friends. Besides, if Nohr was coming, that may mean there will also be Pokemon there. Pokemon that belonged to trainers from her world that must be saved. That said, she followed Adrian to the battlefield.

* * *

By the time they caught up, the two trainers saw the Hoshidans already engaging in combat with the Nohrians, both soldiers and Pokemon on both sides.

Seeing this disgusted Adrian, especially with how the Nohrians were treating the Pokemon on their side. "Looks like the Nohrians really do see Pokemon as nothing but animals without feelings," he muttered.

Riana, on the other hand, looked on with wide eyes. Forget about how the Nohrians were treating the Pokemon on their side; as the weaker Pokemon on the Hoshidan's side tried their best to fight against the opposing soldiers and protecting their Hoshidan partners, some of the Nohrians were being ruthless when they were fighting against them, toying with the weaker Pokemon like ragdolls they weren't.

The Alolan Champion got angry at the sight. How can she not when she saw Pokemon being treated this way? When creatures that are like humans in many ways are being treated like targets of some hunting game.

Adrian noticed the look she had and analyzed the situation in a bigger picture. "Wait... Where are Little Miss Princess and Naive Little Missy?" he asked.

Snapping out of her anger, Riana looked around and saw that Corrin and Azura were not among the people that were fighting, even though their Hoshidan siblings were. Not only that, Riana could also see the Nohrian royals also fighting in this battle. Yet... where are Corrin, Azura, and their Pokemon?

A stream of water was seen from the corner of her eyes, and Riana spotted the two pairs of princesses and Pokemon a bit away from the battle. "Over there!" she pointed, rushing to their side with Adrian following her.

As soon as they met up with Corrin, Azura and their Pokemon, they saw that they weren't alone. With them was a butler. Since his clothes weren't one of Hoshido, they assumed them to be Nohrians. However, since they weren't attacking the princesses and the Pokemon, it was safe to assume that they were friends.

"Corrin! Azura!" Riana called, grabbing their attention.

"Riana! Adrian!" Azura called back, as her two retainers finally caught up to them.

"Sorry for the wait," Adrian said. "But man, does it really look bad out there right now..."

"Lady Corrin. Who are these people?" the butler asked.

"Jacob, these two are Riana and Adrian. Azura's retainers and trainers from the world the Pokemon come from," the princess answered.

"Wait, you mean they're the same as the people who left their Pokemon in Nohr? But why are they siding with Hoshido then?"

"No time to explain. We have to stop this fight," Riana said.

"She's right. We have to stop- not one, but two armies."

Hearing those words shocked the retainers. "B-both armies?! Lady Corrin, what have you gotten yourself into? I suppose it matters not. Your enemies are my enemies. I shall assist you, whatever your intentions," Jacob said.

"And we're guessing you're with Naive Little Missy as well?" Adrian asked Azura.

"Yes, that's right," she nodded in confirmation.

The two trainers looked at each other then back to the princesses. "All right, so what are your orders?" the male trainer asked.

"For now, defeating the leaders of the groups closest to us," Corrin answered. "But with all the Pokemon fighting alongside Nohr and Hoshido, it won't be easy to get close to them. Not only that, but we will also have to fight against my siblings as well..."

"Then how about we split up?" Adrian suggested.

"He's right. It'll be faster that way," Riana agreed. "We'll split in two groups. Adrian and I will be supporting the group we get assigned to. Leave the Pokemon to us."

Corrin nodded in agreement. "In that case, you, Azura and Blue handle Hoshido's side. Adrian and Jacob, with me and Rocky to Nohr."

The group nodded and split up, heading towards their designated sides.

As much as Riana wanted to fight against Nohr, she understood Corrin's intentions. She was the one who taught the Hoshidan soldiers about Pokemon and how to fight with them. Not only that, but since she was the one who helped them bond with the Pokemon, she knew everything about them. In terms of battle that is.

"Mimikyu! Let's go!" the Alolan Champion shouted, calling out her small Ghost/Fairy-type.

"Kyu!"

The Hoshidans were shocked to see one of their princess and their teacher go against them. Even their Pokemon were shocked at the development.

"Leave their Pokemon to me. You and Blue take care of the soldiers," Riana told her princess.

"Okay," she nodded. "Let's go, Blue! Start off with a distraction! Baby-Doll Eyes!"

At Azura's order, Blue charged in, stopping in front of the Hoshidan group and the Pokemon. The Popplio then looked up at them all so cutely and innocently. Seeing that face made them all flinch, hesitating in attacking in anyway.

"Dazzling Gleam!" Riana followed up, as Mimikyu came in front of Blue and suddenly emitted a powerful flash from its body, blinding and inflicting damage on the Hoshidans and their Pokemon. Some Pokemon fainted from that attack.

While the soldiers were distracted, Azura snuck behind them and knocked them all out with the lance she had with her, with Blue assisting her with a good set of Aqua Jets.

"That was... unexpectedly easier than I thought," Riana stated. She knew the Hoshidans were easy in terms of Pokemon battles, but she assumed that they were physically stronger and tougher to beat.

"Let's just be glad that we defeated their commander. Look," Azura told her, looking to Ryoma and the other Hoshidan siblings' direction, where they could hear the first prince order them and the remaining soldiers to stand down.

"Shall we assist Corrin and the others?"

"In terms of escaping, yes." With that, the duo rushed to the Nohrians' side.

With Corrin's group, Adrian had Scar out and ready to rumble. The Zangoose was slashing the wyvern riders left and right, not at all showing any mercy. And when they dare land a hit on him? So to say, that got Scar excited, enough to draw some blood from the Nohrians he defeated. Once the wyvern riders were taken out, Adrian, aware of where these people got the Pokemon, searched the defeated bodies for Pokeballs, as well as other necessities that would be useful for them. As he collected the balls, he returned the Pokemon Corrin and Jakob kept occupied back in them.

' _This may be considered as robbing, but they stole these guys first,_ ' he thought, collecting a total of two Pokemon so far. Hey, the Nohrians may have Pokemon, but the Pokeballs all looked the same. As such, it was hard for even the trainer to tell which ball belonged to which Pokemon. That, and not all of them have Pokemon.

"Adrian! Look out!" came Corrin's voice.

The guy turned in time to see one of the defeated wyvern riders charging at him with an axe in hand. Adrian was about to avoid him, when rocks came out of nowhere and struck him. The trainer turned to the source and saw Rocky nearby, the rocks on his neck glowing and his tail up.

"Thanks for that," he thanked.

"Ruff!" the Rockruff responded.

"Adrian! Are you okay?!" Corrin asked, rushing to his side.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Your Rockruff saved me," Adrian answered. He looked to the side and saw a Fearow flying towards them. "Behind you!"

Corrin turned and saw the Beak Pokemon coming, with his beak glowing white. Suddenly, Jakob appeared and blocked the attack with his dagger.

"Rocky! Use Rock Throw! Quick!" she told her Rockruff.

Rocky did as told and quickly shot some rocks at the Flying-type, dealing a super effective blow on it.

"Are you okay, Jakob?!" the princess then asked her butler.

"That I am, milady," he answered. "But if I may, I knew something was off about this pup, but I never thought he is also..."

"Yeah. I was surprised too."

"What the-?!" came a gasp. The trio of humans and Rocky turned and saw the remaining wyvern rider looking their way. "That stupid bird! How can it be beaten in just one hit?!"

"Wanna bet that he's the leader of this group?" Adrian asked.

"And this Pokemon's 'trainer'," Jakob added.

Adrian let out a whistle, calling Scar back. "Okay Scar, see that guy?! Night Slash!" he ordered.

The Zangoose was more than happy to comply, cloaking his claws in dark, shadowy aura, and rushing at the Nohrian.

"You think that beast scares me?!" the rider questioned, blocking the claws.

What he wasn't prepared for, however, was Jakob coming from behind and tossing his daggers at him, injuring the man. Corrin then followed up with delivering a good slash from her Yato, defeating the rider.

"Hey guys!" The group turned and saw Riana and Azura rushing towards them. "You guys done here?"

"Yes," Corrin answered, as Adrian checked the defeated rider for Pokeballs. "It wasn't easy, but... I think we got them to stop fighting..."

"... Tch. Why, Corrin? Why would you turn on us this way? Even if we aren't blood related, don't you feel any loyalty at all?" they heard Xander question.

"Xander! I just want you to listen to what I'm saying!" she tried to reason.

Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one who saw this action as a betrayal. "Corrin... Why would you betray Hoshido? Have you lost all sense of justice?"

"You don't understand, Ryoma! I haven't betrayed you!"

"Are they really that blinded by their hatred for each other that they don't hear her words?" Riana asked.

"I'm afraid so," Azura answered.

"Hey! How about you get your heads out of the gutter and listen to what you sister is saying?!" Adrian shouted. "For Arceus's sake, you guys are family and you have ears! So act like one and use them!"

Jakob glared at him, not amused with the tone he used, even if he did have a point in the matter.

Sadly, neither listened nor heard. "I... always thought of you as a sister..." Xander said. "...Damn it all. Spread word among the troops. Corrin has turned traitor! From this moment forth, she is our enemy and should be captured on sight!"

Those orders shocked the princess and her group. "Why won't you listen to me?!"

"Corrin... Even now, I still remember the agony I felt the day you were kidnapped. I know we can't get back the time we lost... But... I still hoped that someday we would be reunited as a family... I see now that I was living a fantasy," Ryoma stated. "...Tell everyone. Corrin is truly lost to us! If she insists on becoming our enemy, then all we can do is fight her!

"Ryoma! I..." Tears started to form in Corrin's eyes, for the girl was saddened that neither of her brothers were willing to hear her out at all.

"Wait, Corrin," Azura spoke. "Nothing you can say will reach either of them. We need to retreat for now. We can't afford to be caught."

"She's right. We have to get out of here. Now!" Riana urged.

Corrin knew they had a point and gave the two first princes one last glance. "Xander...Ryoma... I promise you'll understand one day."

With that, the group quickly fled from the battlefield.

* * *

After some time of running, they all stopped in the middle of a meadow.

"Looks like we're safe for now," Adrian said, looking behind them and saw no one chasing after them.

"Whew... We managed to escape, but I'm sure they're still on our trail," Azura said. "We can't leave things are they are now. We'll be branded as traitors by both kingdoms."

Corrin stayed silent, catching her breath from all that running.

"Listen to me. You'll lose everything if you don't choose a side. It's either Hoshido or Nohr," the songstress princess warned.

"No. There's a third option," Corrin retorted. "I can choose not to support either side."

That option surprised them. "But... How?" Riana asked.

"I have family in Hoshido. I also have family in Nohr. Even if I were to lose everything... Even if all of them despise me... I can't choose to side with one against the other. I simply can't do that. I don't care if I lose everything. This is what I've decided. Besides, Adrian said it earlier." The male retainer looked at her in confusion, wondering what she meant. "You said because I have a family in both Hoshido and Nohr, as a princess of both kingdoms, it is my job to somehow get them to get along. I can't do that if I side with one."

"Not exactly what I mean..." he sighed, but didn't bother to correct her in any way.

"I see..." Azura closed her eyes and nodded in agreement. "You have to be willing to risk a lot to accomplish something major... I suppose you're right... My own mother lost her life protecting Nohr. But I don't think she regretted her choice. She died to protect the ones she loved. I've made up my mind as well. I will follow you down the path you've chosen."

"As her retainers, you can bet that Adrian and I will also follow you," Riana said.

"Like I have a choice in the matter," the male retainer said. "Besides, you're gonna need all the help you can get, especially with the Pokemon. Both facing against them and being a better trainer for Rocky."

"And I will follow you no matter where you go, milady," Jakob added.

"Rockruff!"

"Poppo!"

"Kyu..."

"Zangoose."

Seeing how loyal her friends and the Pokemon were towards her brought a smile upon Corrin's face. "Everyone... Thank you."

"Now... onto other matters," Adrian spoke. He placed his pointer and thumb in his mouth and let out a different whistle. On cue, a certain, coffin-looking Pokemon appeared.

Both Corrin and Azura's eyes widened at the sight of the Pokemon. "Isn't this... the Pokemon from earlier?" the former asked.

"That's... a Cofagrigus," Riana identified.

"All right, Ghoul, open up," Adrian told it. "They have every right to see."

While the girls and Jakob were confused as to what he meant by that, Ghoul the Cofagrigus obliged to the order and opened himself up like a normal coffin. And within him...

"Mother?!" Corrin gasped out, rushing to the woman in the Coffin Pokemon.

"Adrian, what is the meaning of this?" Azura asked. "Why bring Queen Mikoto's corpse...?"

"Long story. Short version, she's not dead," he answered.

Those three words brought more shock to the princesses' faces.

"Wait... You mean, she's still alive?" Corrin asked.

"Back in the plaza, when I called Ghoul out to protect you both, one shard went past him before he could use Protect, a move that can protect the user and their allies one hundred percent. Thankfully, that shard didn't hit anything vital, but she did lose some blood. I'm no doctor, but it will take a while for her to wake." After he explained that, to his surprise, Corrin went and hugged him, crying tears of joy.

"Th-... Thank you..." she whispered.

Adrian froze at those words. He had never heard anyone thank him for anything before. To hear Naive Little Missy thank him like so made him feel a little weird... in a good way. "It's nothing..."

"But... what are we going to do?" Riana asked. "Don't get me wrong, but if we're on the run, I don't think keeping Ghoul out and Queen Mikoto in him is a good idea."

"She has a point," Jakob agreed. "Even if she is in a coma, the queen would need some air and sunlight."

"Well, there is that, yes..." The natives all turned to the Alolan champion in confusion. "It's also because if a human stays in a Cofagrigus for too long, they'll turn into a mummy."

"But isn't Queen Mikoto already a mommy?" Azura asked.

"No, it's 'mummy'. With a 'u'," Adrian corrected. "How to explain this in simpler terms...? So to say, a mummy is like of like a Faceless, only actual human-sized and wrapped in gauze, or thin fabrics."

"What?!" Just hearing that mummies are like Faceless is more than enough to have them on edge.

"Well what do we do then?!" the blue-haired princess asked.

On cue, a little dragon on an orb suddenly appeared. The sight of it brought a smile on Corrin's face while Jakob and Azura jumped in shock and Adrian and Riana looked at it in confusion.

"Is that... a Pokemon?" the male retainer asked.

"It... looks like one," the female retainer answered.

"Lilith! Great timing!" Corrin greeted, hugging the creature and getting her friends' attention.

"Lilith?! Milady, do you mean to say this creature is our stable girl?" Jakob asked. "It can't be..."

"Actually... it can. And it is. She's also the bird I nurtured back to health years ago."

Hearing that second part brought raised eyebrows on Azura and her retainers, for Lilith looked nothing like a bird.

"Sorry, milady, but I fail to grasp the joke," Jakob said. "Lilith is a human, not a... fantastical beast."

"Look, I know it's confusing. I'll explain everything later. Come on! I have an idea on where to rest." Nodding to Lilith, the dragon created a portal on the ground.

"My word... What is that light?!" Jakob asked.

"It... looks like a portal," Riana said.

"Erm, I'll explain that later too..." Corrin told them.

"Well, better than in the middle of nowhere," Adrian pointed out, as the light got brighter, and pulled them all in.

* * *

When they opened their eyes, they found themselves in a very unfamiliar place.

"Beg pardon, Lady Corrin, but might I inquire... What just happened? And where precisely are we?" Jakob questioned.

"Let's deal with explanations after we get Queen Mikoto situated somewhere," Riana advised.

"And ourselves as well," Adrian added. "This does look like a good place to hide out after all."

"My retainers are right. We also have to do something about the Pokemon Adrian took back from the Nohrians," Azura added on.

* * *

After getting Mikoto nice and comfy in Lilith's shrine, upon her offer and insistence, Corrin explained to them about where they were. As of this moment, the group were all in her own treehouse.

"So this is called the Astral Plane, a place where time works differently than outside of here," Adrian said. "The Dragon Veins that Azura and the Hoshidan siblings told us about can create buildings, but also requires some time to recharge."

"Yes, that's right," the princess in Nohrian armor confirmed.

"So, what can you make so far?" Riana asked.

"According to Lilith, I can make a statue of people and armories and shops that sells Nohrian and Hoshidan weapons and tools."

"Think you can make something for the Pokemon?"

"That I'm not so sure..." Lilith answered for her. "The Astral Plane is created to suit the needs of a human and beastkin of the world outside. Since the Pokemon are not of our world, it's hard to say if she can make something for them."

"She can try, can't she?" Adrian asked.

"I was thinking of adding something for Rocky in the first place," Corrin said. "Let's try it out."

* * *

The group went to what appears to be a throne. Corrin stopped before the seat and turned to the trainers.

"What do you think I should make for the Pokemon?" she asked.

"I still have some berries on me, so we don't need a berry field when I can just start make one on my own," Riana pointed out. "And if Poke Beanstalk can sprout Poke Beans, a Rainbow Poke Bean should make a Poke Beanstalk."

"Poke Beans?"

"Heart-shape beans. They're Pokemon treats that can increase their affection towards trainers, make them a little more friendly towards them, help increase their bonds. And considering that we're also going to be helping Pokemon, both saving them from Nohrian clutches and finding the scared, wild ones out there, we're going to need those. But like I said, you don't need to make one through Dragon Vein."

"Then what...?"

"Maybe a Pokemon Day Care of sort," Adrian suggested. "If wild Pokemon are appearing here, there's a chance that some eggs or baby Pokemon would too. And we're going to be a bit too busy to care for them."

"A daycare... I'll try it out." Corrin activated the Dragon Vein under her. In a burst of energy, a building appeared, right by the hot springs. "Would that do?"

"Only one way to find out," Riana said, as she and Adrian walked into the building.

Upon entering the building, they saw that the interior was similar to the Pokemon Day Care back at home. Just without a PC to transfer different Pokemon.

"This looks okay," the champion said.

"Yeah, I guess it will do," Adrian agreed. "Just missing the caretaker, but this will do for now."

"One step at a time."

The guy nodded and both left the building.

"How is it?" Azura asked.

"It'll do," her male retainer answered.

"Do you mind if we can stay a little longer though? I'd like to get these berries I spoke of planted, and plant a Rainbow Bean for the beanstalk. They'll help us a lot, especially for the Pokemon," Riana requested.

"They really can," Azura vouched. "Some berries are like the source of Pokemon medicine and they can also work on humans. I saw them myself. As for the beans, they can even make good treats for the Pokemon. Blue especially likes the blue ones."

"Poppo!" the Popplio nodded, licking the top part of his mouth to indicate how good the beans were.

"We can even save up some money if we plant these berries now. We won't need to spend much on healing items."

"You guys brought up good points," Corrin said. "All right, let's stay for a little longer and plant them."

"Milady! You're not suggesting you'll help out, are you?" Jakob asked.

"I may be a princess, Jakob, but I'm also a Pokemon trainer. And have been for years without realizing it. I want to do my part as a trainer for Rocky."

Jakob hesitated when he saw the fire in her eyes. All these years of being by her side, he knew that once Corrin decided on something, nothing would change her mind. Especially if it was for Rocky.

"Very well. I'll lend you my assistance as well," he said.

"Thanks, Jakob!" Corrin thanked. "We have a cabbage field here. Would that work to plant the berries?"

"We can plant them anywhere where there's soil and they get plenty of sunlight, so long as the soil is good for the berries," Riana answered.

"Speaking of Pokemon from Nohr, we are going to need to get these guys situated here and see that we're friends," Adrian added, taking out the trio of Pokeballs he took from the wyvern riders earlier.

"That's right, I almost forgot," Azura said in realization.

Corrin had a worried look on her face. "I just hope these Pokemon won't act like the Hydreigon King Garon gave me..."

"Only one way to find out." With that, the guy let the Pokemon out of their balls.

* * *

After spending about an hour calming the freed Pokemon, as well as healing them and showing them that they were friends, and spending another hour planting the berries and the Rainbow Poke Bean, the group exited out of the plane and returned to the meadow they came from.

"I still cannot believe King Garon and those other soldiers of Nohr would do such a thing," Riana said.

"Some of those Pokemon are small and frightened, too," Corrin added, still recalling how scared the East Sea Shellos and the Poochyena were of them. If it weren't for the professional trainers and the Pokemon, she'd fear those two would never relax around them. And there was also that Fearow, the very same one Rocky took down. During those two hours in there, Corrin couldn't help but feel frightened herself with how it was eying them. Whether it was suspicions or a grudge, she wouldn't never know, but she hoped it would warm up to them.

"Have you two considered what our next move will be?" Jakob asked, changing the subject. "Nohr and Hoshido against us; we don't have many friends right now."

"Hmm... It seems like we should lay low for a little bit," Corrin said.

"The Astral Plane may be a good place to hide out, but with how time works differently in there compared to here, it'll be hard to tell when would be a good time to leave," Adrian pointed out. "At the very least, it serves as a good resting place for Mikoto."

"Hey. Watch your wording," Riana scolded, for it sounded like he killed the queen off himself.

"Then... I know a place where no one will find us. We should be safe there," Azura said.

"Really?" Corrin asked.

"Yes. And once we get there, I have much to tell you. Things I heard from my mother... and the truth about this world..."

Everyone looked at each other in confusion, before following the songstress to their suppose hiding place.

* * *

After some time of walking, the group arrived at a certain place.

"This is the Bottomless Canyon where we lost Gunter," Corrin said. "You don't mean for us to hide out here, do you?"

"That's exactly what I mean. We'll jump into the canyon," Azura told them.

Everyone's eyes widened in shock at what she just suggested.

"Come again?" Adrian asked.

"Wait just a minute! If we jump from here, we'll all die. No one will ever find us, that's for sure, but we'll be ghosts!" Jakob exclaimed.

"Don't worry. You won't die if you jump. You have to trust me," Azura assured.

"That's a high order there, Little Miss Princess," Adrian said. "What makes you think we'll jump in just because you asked us to?"

"Well, you and Riana are my retainers. Shouldn't it be a retainer's job to trust in their princess and do as the princess say?"

"Now now, that's an abuse of power there, isn't it?!"

"Well, karma sure knows how to bite back, wouldn't you say?" Riana asked her fellow retainer, recalling what the guy said about calling Azura by name and jumping off cliffs.

"I did not mean that literally!" Apparently, he also remembered saying something along the lines of that.

"Azura... You'll tell us more of what you know after we jump into the canyon, right?" Corrin asked.

"Yes, if that's what you wish," Azura answered.

"... Then we have no choice."

"Are you certain about this, milady?!" Jakob asked, not believing his ears.

"Yes. Everything will be fine. I trust Azura," Corrin said.

"Thank you, Corrin. I'll go first and wait for you to follow," Azura said, walking to the bridge.

Corrin followed after her. "All right. I'll be right behind you."

"Hang on, you two cannot be serious!" Adrian demanded.

"Not man enough to follow?" Riana teased, following the princesses. The male trainer was flabbergasted at the claim and, reluctantly, followed.

"... If my mistress is going, then I'll need to find the courage," Jakob said to himself. "I would give up my life if my lady commanded, after all. It should be an easy thing to follow her anywhere, even..." Without another word, he raced after them.

Once they were all on the bridge, Azura, who slipped under the ropes to the edge, leaned forward and fell, prompting everyone else to either jump over or slip under the ropes after her. Some time of falling later, they all blacked out.


	12. Unspeakable World

**Happy New Years to the lot of you! Well... 'Eve' for majority of you, but regardless! This year is finally coming to an end! And with it is a new year! And with that new year... a lot of good things are going to come out that I am very excited for~! What are they? Well, that is for me to know and you all to find out! Speaking of finding out, let's see what happens with Riana and friends! Enjoy it~!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Fire Emblem of any kind for either of them. I do, however, own my OC. Adrian is owned by Antex- The Legendary Zoroark.**

* * *

"Normal people talking"

' _Thoughts_ '

" _ **Z-MOVE!**_ "

" _ **Dragon-type Pokemon talking**_ " Only from Corrin's perspective

" _Pokemon talking_ "

* * *

When Corrin and the others came to, the first thing they noticed was that they were in the middle of a field. Each slowly rose up and saw islands... floating around them. Some islands were inverted, while others were sideways.

"Where... are we?" Riana asked.

Corrin let out a groan as she tried to come back to all of her senses. "...Ugh. Is this... the bottom of the canyon?" she guessed. "That was a heck of a jump, but nothing seems to be broken..."

"Thank goodness. I said you'd be all right, didn't I?" Azura said, seemingly unfazed by the fall they had done. "Jakob, how do you feel?"

"I'm fine, of course," the butler answered. "I'm relieved to see Lady Corrin is unhurt as well."

"Rocky? Blue? How about you two?" Corrin asked.

"Aroo..." the Rockruff answered, shaking some feeling back in himself.

"Poppo," the Popplio barked, doing the same.

"So... Where exactly are we?" Adrian asked. "Last I checked, the bottom of a canyon should not have led us to an entirely different place. And I thought from the name itself, there shouldn't be a bottom to this canyon. Are we even still at Bottomless Canyon?"

"Well, one thing's for sure... This place looks like it's definitely seen better days..." Corrin stated.

Azura took a moment to answer. "...This is the kingdom of Valla. It's responsible for the war between Hoshido and Nohr."

Her friends all looked at her in confusion. "Responsible? This place? How?" Riana asked.

"Follow me, all of you. If we linger here, we'll be spotted." They all looked at each other before following the songstress of a princess.

* * *

After some time of running, the group in what seemed to be a cave.

"We should be safe here," Azura said. "As I was saying... The throne of Valla is occupied by King Anankos. Before his arrival, this land was a peaceful one. All was well until Anankos killed our king and took the throne for himself. Once bountiful farmlands were devastated, replaced by wastelands and graveyards."

"He destroyed an entire kingdom?! For no reason at all?" Corrin questioned.

"...Yes. And he isn't finished. He wishes to lay waste to the entire world. First Valla, then Nohr and Hoshido. Even now, he's the hidden influence that quietly forces Nohr and Hoshido to fight. King Garon's invasion is the result of Anankos's subtle manipulations."

"That's horrible!"

"But wait, if that's true, then maybe we can stop this war by defeating Anankos," Riana suggested. "We need to get back up above and explain this to everyone! If we can get Nohr and Hoshido to work together-"

"I'm sorry, but you can't. You mustn't talk about Valla to anyone when you're beyond its borders," Azura sadly turned down.

"And just why is that?" Adrian asked.

"Because if you do, you'll trigger a curse that will cause your body to dissolve and disappear. That's what happened to my mother... To Arete, the former queen of Valla."

"What? Your mother was a queen in Valla, not Nohr?" Corrin asked. "Then, that makes you..."

"Yes... I am a Vallite princess. The king that Anankos murdered... He was my father."

"And because of him, you were forced to flee," Adrian added, putting those pieces together. "And thanks to the curse, you can't tell anyone about what's really going on as it would literally cost you your life."

"Yes... But I wasn't able to tell anyone about this before. Because of that curse... Even if I wanted to talk, I couldn't," Azura confirmed. "I was trapped... No matter how much I missed my parents. I had to keep it all bottled up inside... Until now."

"Azura..." Corrin called gloomily.

"Listen, Corrin. I'm sorry to say this, but... Now that you've chosen this path, you'll know exactly what I've been feeling," Azura said to her fellow princess. "No matter how much you want someone to understand what's happening... No matter how much you want to tell them the truth... You won't be able to tell them. You need to prepare yourself for that. I can't even express how painful it is to know the truth and not be able to say it."

"... All right. I understand."

The songstress turned to her retainers. "As for you two, you both still have a choice. If you go back now and tell Ryoma and the others you were both only doing your jobs as retainers-"

"Then we're staying with you," Adrian cut her off, surprising their princess. "Don't give me that look. You're the one who suggested that we convince them we were doing what retainers are suppose to do."

"He's right. We're sticking with you no matter what, Azura. And nothing you say can change that," Riana agreed.

"I understand you both take your position as my retainers seriously, despite that it was practically forced onto you, but-"

"If you think we're only doing this because we're your retainers, you have another thing coming," Riana interrupted Azura. "We're not just doing this as your retainers. We're also doing this because we're friends. And friends stick together."

Agreeing with those words, Blue and Rocky both climbed up on Azura's shoulders and gave her some assured cuddles, causing the girl to let out a small laugh.

"... Okay, you win. But if things get tough-" Azura stopped talking there and looked to the side, hearing something from a distance. "What was that?!

"Whatever it is, it sounds like trouble. And at a large number at that," Adrian said. "We'll need to deal with this threat before we can continue."

"Right!" Everyone nodded in agreement to the plan.

"Tread carefully... Our enemies may use the shadows to ambush us," Azura advised, for the deeper part of the cave was too dark for any of them to see through.

"If sight is the problem..." Riana took out a Pokeball and tossed it in the air. "I choose you, Eelektross!" Out from the ball was a large, dark blue and yellow, eel-like Pokemon, with a long, tentacle-like finned-limb extending from its head and clawed, paddle-like arms.

"Eelektross!" it screeched.

Seeing it suddenly appear was a huge shock to Jakob. "What the-?! What is that eel?!" he demanded.

Corrin, seeing it a few times before before the attack on Hoshido, calmly answered, "That's Eelektross, one of Riana's Pokemon."

"Okay. And just how is it going to help us see in the dark?" the butler questioned.

A smirk formed on Adrian's face. "You better take notes then, if you want to know, Sir Uptight Butler," he told him.

"What did you call me?!" Jakob demanded at the insulting nickname.

Ignoring the small confrontation behind her, Riana ordered, "Eelektross, dive deeper in this cave!" The EleFish Pokemon obliged at the command and 'flew' into the darkness, to the others shock. "Now, use Flash!" At her command, light suddenly appeared deep inside the cave. Not only does it illuminate a path for the others, but it also blinded the enemies that were hidden within the shadows. "Now's your chance!"

Corrin, Rocky, Azura, Blue, and Jakob snapped out of their surprise and charged into the now-brightened area, taking down the distracted enemies.

"No way I'm going to be left out on this battle," Adrian said, taking out a Pokeball as well and called out the Pokemon within. "Midnight! Let's go!"

"Canra-ooooooohh!" the Rock-type howled before joining in on the action.

The group fought as hard as they could against the enemy soldiers. It was hard, especially when they can turn invisible. Thankfully, the purple wisps that surrounded their bodies gave away their locations, as well as the shadows produced by Eelektross's Flash. Said EleFish Pokemon also joined in the fray with some Thunderbolt attacks here and there, as well as some good Aqua Tail hits. Not to mention, both Rocky and Blue were small and quite speedy; they managed to land in some strong hits themselves.

After some time of fighting, a familiar figure riding a horse appeared before Corrin's eyes. "What the-? Is there something wrong with my eyes? Could that knight be...?"

"What's wrong?" Adrian asked, noticing her rubbing her eyes.

"Lady Corrin!" the figure called out.

One sound of his voice brought a smile to Corrin's face. "Gunter! Is that really you?! And you're alive?!" Her cry got the other's attention, as they turned and saw the old knight alive and well. The last part being more directed specifically to those who were more familiar with him.

"I am. I lost consciousness as I fell, and when I awoke, I was here. I have no idea how I survived such a fall... But I swear on my blade I'm no ghost. My arms and legs are as sturdy as ever," Gunter assured her.

A relieved smile formed on Corrin's face. "It's good to see you in one piece, Gunter. I'm so glad we found you."

"I would love to celebrate, milady, but it appears we don't have time right now... These foes are truly challenging. I'll help you fend them off!"

The group all picked up the pace at those words, quickly taking out the remaining enemies. Along the way, the group found some treasure chests and, using the keys they took from the invisible soldiers, unlocked the chests and gained some weapons and gold from within.

After defeating the last of the soldiers, Corrin and friends all met up with Gunter.

"Gunter, it's so good to see you safe and sound!" Corrin cried out.

"Aroof woof!" Rocky barked in agreement, jumping in the old guy's arms and giving him the usual love cuddles.

"I'm glad to see you too, Lady Corrin..." the old knight replied, letting the pup down. "After I fell, I truly thought I'd never see your face again. It seems you've grown stronger while we've been apart, as well..."

"So you aren't dead, old man. Can you give me back the time I wasted grieving over your demise?" Jakob said in sarcasm.

Gunter sighed at the tone he used. "Hmph... You haven't changed. It wouldn't hurt for you to be kinder. But, why are you all here?" He turned his attention on Eelektross, Midnight, and Blue. "And those creatures with you... Are they also Pokemon?"

"They're our Pokemon," Adrian said, glaring at the guy as he stood between him and the Pokemon. He may be a good guy in Corrin's book, and maybe Jakob's, but everyone else didn't know him as well as they did. Adrian was just taking precautions.

"And you are?"

"Adrian. A Pokemon trainer."

"And I'm Riana, also a trainer," Riana followed, placing a hand on her fellow retainer's shoulder, calming him down somewhat.

Gunter raised a brow upon hearing of their occupation. "Pokemon trainers? As in with King Garon? But why are you both...?"

"We're not with Nohr," the Alolan champion corrected.

"It turns out, the trainer Pokemon lent to Nohr are actually forced to work with them. Taken from their original trainers and... made into slaves," Corrin sadly revealed.

The old knight's eyes widened at the truth. "I... see..." To the trainers, he then said, "I know a simply apology will not cut for what happened, but I apologize on behalf of my people for such a thing to occur."

"Don't be. It's not like you all knew," Adrian said.

Gunter nodded at his words and turned to Azura. "And who are you?"

"My name is Azura. If I said I was the princess kidnapped from Nohr as a child... would you understand?" the songstress princess asked.

Realization was shown in his eyes. "Ah! Yes, I remember when you were little. I apologize for my failure to protect you from your Hoshidan kidnappers..."

"There is no need to apologize, really... It doesn't matter at the moment. I'd rather learn how you've survived here. You are quite the knight to have avoided meeting a terrible fate."

"You seem familiar with this place, Lady Azura. Where are we, exactly?"

"This is Valla, an invisible Kingdom tied to the world by the Bottomless Canyon. It is ruled by Anankos, who wishes to destroy the entire world. So long as he remains in the Vallite throne, the world will not know peace."

"But though we know of this threat now, as much as we want to tell anyone else the truth, we can't," Adrian said. "Apparently, if we speak of Valla when we're not here, a curse will kill us."

Hearing this shocked the knight. "What?! Is that possible?"

"It seems so," Corrin confirmed. "Also, I've... made enemies of both Hoshido and Nohr, Gunter. I couldn't bring myself to side against either of them, so both turned on me. Whenever we meet next, it will be a difficult fight. Will you stand with me?"

"Of course, Lady Corrin. I shall always remain at your side," Gunter assured.

A smile formed on the Nohr Princess's face. "Thank you, Gunter."

"I feel like I must be in a dream, surviving being attacked and falling so far... Though I have to admit... Hans was a disappointment. He barely left a scratch," Gunter said, rubbing the part where the traitor of a Nohrian fighter struck him.

"Ah, that reminds me: Hans said something strange," Corrin said. "He claimed he was following King Garon's orders by attacking you."

Gunter looked away when she said that. "I'm embarrassed to admit this, but... King Garon despises me."

"Despises you? Why?"

"After being honored for valor in battle, I was granted an audience with King Garon. He offered me dragon's blood; accepting would require absolute loyalty to the king. It would have meant becoming his most trusted retainer, the highest of positions. However, it also would have meant leaving my homeland, my wife, and my child. I turned him down. I wanted to live a normal life. I begged for his understanding. I will never forget his resentment... his rage."

"I didn't know..."

"What if it wasn't him?" Riana asked, causing everyone to turn to her.

"What do you mean?" Gunter asked her.

"Azura said it earlier. Anankos is controlling King Garon from behind the scenes. What if the Garon back then is controlled by him? What if the blood he was going to offer you was really a way to take control over you, knowing how strong you really are? And when you declined King Garon, you really declined Anankos..."

"For someone who found out of the horrible things Nohr did to Pokemon and their trainers, you sure are strongly defending them," Adrian said to her.

"It's not much of defending them. If you think about it, it's really Anankos that's really forcing the trainers and Pokemon to cooperate through King Garon." The male trainer couldn't argue at the point made.

Suddenly, the Pokemon sensed something and turned to it, all taking battle positions.

"Hm? What's wrong with them?" Jakob asked.

Just as he asked that, a burst of magical flames and light occurred near the group. Appearing from them was a trio of invisible figures. One was a woman while the other two seemed to be males.

"Leave now... You should not be here," the woman said.

"What the- Who are you?!" Corrin asked in surprise.

"I am a mage of Valla... You were warned. Vallite warriors, eliminate them."

"This is bad... I don't think we're strong enough to defeat them," Azura informed. "Let's retreat to the other world!"

"How do you suggest we do that?!" Adrian asked.

"Just run!" Riana said, giving him a little push as they started to run from the Vallite warriors.

* * *

After some time of running, the group managed to make it back to the Bottomless Canyon through a portal Azura opened up with a Dragon Vein.

"Phew... It looks like we've made it back," Corrin sighed in relief. "Who was that woman down there? She said she was a mage..."

Azura was silent at the question. Instead, she said, "... When dawn turns to dusk. When dusk turns to dawn. Then the door will spawn."

Everyone was confused at her words. "Huh? Is that a poem, Azura?" Corrin asked

"My mother... She said those words to me a long time ago. She said that when dawn turns to dusk, and dusk turns to dawn... The pass in the Bottomless Canyon opens or closes."

"And just what is that suppose to mean? The path opens and closes every 24 hours? That makes no sense," Adrian said.

"But in Nohr, there's never a daytime like in Hoshido," Corrin informed.

"When the dawn turns... Hmm..." Gunter pondered on what the words meant. "Oh, I get it. Once every few decades, the skies above Nohr and Hoshido will reverse. If I remember right, that should happen a few months from now."

"Really?" Riana asked.

"Yes. I'm sure that's the sign that the pass down there has opened or closed. Since we're obviously able to travel there now, it will close next time. Once it closes, it will stay that way for decades. We won't be able to get there... We don't have much time."

"I see," Corrin said. "Then, we'll need both kingdoms to stop fighting each other and help us. If we had Xander and Ryoma, there's no way we'd lose."

"You left out the part as to how we can convince them. Don't forget, we can't say a word to anyone about... well... over there," Riana reminded her.

"We'll just have to find another way. It's the only chance we have. Now that I know there is a common enemy for both countries to fight... I think we can save Nohr and Hoshido. All I can do is believe in myself and try to convince others to join us."

"Ruff ruff!" Rocky barked in agreement, standing by Corrin's side.

"Corrin... I suppose you're right. I felt so powerless on my own, but together we might be able to pull something off!" Azura said. "Nothing will change if we stay here. Let's return to Hoshido first. I feel like they might be more willing to listen to us."

Adrian looked at the sky. "It looks like it will be late soon. We should head back to the Astral Plains," he advised.

"Good idea," Corrin agreed. "Lil-"

"Actually," Riana spoke up, cutting off the princess's call for the dragon. "There is a small village nearby. We can stay the night there instead."

"Are you suggesting Lady Corrin to stay the night out in the woods?!" Jakob demanded. "Something like that is not fitting for a princess like Lady Corrin! Especially Lady Corrin!"

"I know you're a butler, but I'm pretty sure you're taking that role a little too far," Adrian muttered. "Besides, camping out is not bad either."

"You be silence! You just suggested that the princesses should be camping out!"

"I did not say that at all, Sir Uptight Butler!"

"Jakob, please calm down!" Corrin cried out, holding back her retainer with Rocky, as Gunter and Midnight did the same with Adrian.

"Is there something special about the village that you wish to go there instead of the Astral Plains?" Azura asked Riana, picking up and holding Blue.

"In a way. For one thing, I just thought it'd be a good experience for you and Corrin to know what life is like with villagers. It'll be a nice experience. Plus, we do have some vegetables and a lot of berries back in Astral Plains; I can't do all that work by myself. It'll be easier if you guys have some professionals teach you how farming is done," Riana explained.

"That's true. And assuming that this is something all Pokemon Trainers do in your world, it would only make more sense for us to grow those berries."

"Well, not every trainer does this. But pretty much. And also... the village that's near here is the very same one I ended up in when I first came to this world." The bickering in the background ceased at those words, as everyone stared at the female trainer. "I want to see how everyone's doing. It's been over a month since I last saw them after all."

"Why didn't you say so?!" Corrin asked, suddenly appearing at Riana's face. "We should go there now. Lead the way!" That said, the princess was practically dragging the champion back into the woods.

"Okay, I hear you. Stop dragging me," the female trainer said.

"Well, you heard the princess. Let's go to the village," Adrian told them, as he and Azura followed the two girls, along with Midnight and Eelektross.

Jakob was shocked at the development that had occurred. Never, had he ever, thought there would be a day when Corrin would ever be living with commoners, or stay the night in a village full of them.

"We should get going now, Jakob," Gunter told the butler, following Adrian, the girls and the Pokemon. "Come on now. Before we lose them."

Seeing that he had no other choice in the matter, Jakob followed after the group.

* * *

After some time of walking, the sun was starting to set. The group was still venturing on in the woods, with no sign of the village in sight. Eelektross and Midnight were both called back into their Pokeballs during the walk.

"I thought you said it was near," Jakob said to Riana.

"I did, but I didn't say how close exactly," she replied. "Although, it's weird..."

"What is?" Azura asked.

Riana stopped and cupped her ears. "Everyone stop and be silent." They all did as told, wondering what the Alolan Champion was doing. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear... what?" Corrin asked back.

"Exactly." That response brought more confusion to them. "There's no sound. In this forest, close to that village, there are a lot of Pokemon." The confusion changed to shock. "It's one thing if it was the sound they make, but there's no rustling, no wings flapping, nothing. Something's not right here."

"If this is your idea of a bluff, it's not working well," Jakob said, not believing a single word that came out of her mouth.

"No, Riana's right," Adrian agreed. "It's not that dark yet. If there is that many Pokemon in these woods, then it shouldn't be this quiet."

"I don't like this feeling I'm getting... We have to hurry!" Riana told them. Without a warning, the female trainer took off deeper into the woods, much to the others' shock.

"Wait! Riana!" Azura called out, as they all followed after her.

* * *

Some time of running later, the group started to hear screams from up ahead.

"Did you hear that?! Those screams! Something terrible really is happening!" Corrin exclaimed.

"Mozu! Everyone!" Riana cried out, extremely worried for the village.

"You said you left a Pokemon with them, didn't you? Can't it protect them?" Adrian asked.

"I did, but it's not much of a fighter! If it's bandits, it's strong enough to handle them. But just what is-?!" Riana trailed off, as the group made it out of the woods and saw a bunch of Faceless at the village.

"Faceless! And the place has been ravaged. I fear we're too late!" Jakob said.

"No! There must be some survivors. With any luck, some people escaped, but if there's even one left here somewhere... Let's get searching everyone!" Corrin shouted.

"RAAAAAAAAHHHH!" A roar was heard, followed by a crash in the woods nearby.

Riana and Adrian recognized the roar, especially the former. "Charizard!" The Alolan Champion rushed to the source.

"Riana, wait!" Azura called out. Unfortunately, the girl was out of hearing range.

"Azura, Jakob! You two, Rocky, Blue and I are going after Riana! Adrian, Gunter! Take out the Faceless in the village and save any surviving villagers!" Corrin ordered.

Without a word of protest, everyone went along with Corrin's plan.

* * *

With the Alolan Champion, she rushed into the woods, desperate to get to Charizard before the worse can ever happen. Desperate to get to him before... what happened back then happens again.

Good news, she found the Flame Pokemon. Bad news, she found it downed and being towered by a couple of Faceless.

"Leave Charizard alone!" she shouted at the monsters.

Before she could call out a Pokemon though, stars and what seemed like a large beam of light were shot at the pair of Faceless, defeating them and causing them to dissipate away.

"Nice shot, Fira! You too, Sage!" came a voice.

Riana turned to the source of that voice and saw a girl there, with two Pokemon by her side.

One of the Pokemon was a brown, dog-like creature with a cream-colored mane and cream-colored tip on its bushy tail. The other Pokemon was big and green, with a large, pink flower on its back, supported by a brown trunk, which was surrounded by what seemed like big, green leaves. It wasn't the Pokemon that surprised Riana, but the person controlling them.

The girl with the pair of Pokemon had peach hues skin with a long auburn hair tied back in a braid. Her eyes were hazel, and she had freckles on her face. Her attire consisted of a light blue, jean shorts, a long sleeved green shirt, boots, a black bracelet around her right wrist and black, fingerless gloves on her hands. Everything about this girl screamed out...

"A Pokemon trainer?!" the Alolan Champion gasped out in shock.


	13. Special: Once in Kalos, Now in Hoshido

**Another day, another year, another update. And in this one... you can say this is a special chapter, like with Corrin and Azura when they were kids and met Rocky and Blue. But this one... This one features a new trainer that will be joining Corrin's army. Who is this trainer? Well... That is something many of you will be finding out.**

 **Before we begin, I would like to say a few words to one certain guest reviewer, whose name I never memorized as I had deleted their... disturbing review... And you know who you are... The rest of you are free to ignore this, but then again, I highly recommend you do read this in case if you dare try anything on April Fools Day (at the very least) similar to what this person had done.**

 **What the god FUCKING HELL?! Why would you ever send a sort of review like that?! If there are a few things that I despise, dislike, and hate more than anything else, it is stupid, mess up jokes like the one you had sent! And let me tell you this now! I do NOT do horrors! EVER! So what do you think I did when I saw that little review you sent?! I deleted it! Not only because it was messed up, but also because I am easily scared with that sort of thing! Who do you think you are to send a message like that?! What if that so-called message was actually a real deal and I uh... yeah... ACTUALLY DIE ON MY 'DEATH DAY' JUST BECAUSE I READ THAT STUPID MESSAGE YOU SENT?! I would like to know where your mind was when you sent me it! Actually, no! Don't send another review! I was 'this' close to possibly dying earlier from the mere stress because I cannot handle that sort of thing! It is only when I spoke with a good friend about this that I managed to calm down and forget about it! Do NOT dare put up another review like that or ever at all!**

 **Ahem... Now then with that being said... Let us officially start this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Fire Emblem of any kind for either of them. I do own my OC. Adrian is owned by Antex- The Legendary Zoroark. New character is owned by kitsunelover300.**

* * *

"Normal people talking"

' _Thoughts_ '

" _ **Z-MOVE!**_ "

" _ **Dragon-type Pokemon talking**_ " Only from Corrin's perspective

" _Pokemon talking_ "

* * *

It was a beautiful morning in the Kalos region. Here, many people and Pokemon wandered through the city streets, all living out their day in peace. Some people were out in the woods, venturing through to the next city, battling wild Pokemon, catching some Pokemon, or battling other people. Some other people were at the beach, fishing or simply having fun.

One person, one _trainer_ , was doing none of those things.

This particular trainer ventured on through a forest, but not to battle or catch Pokemon, and certainly not to battle any trainers. No, such things are past her. What she was there for, however, was to see something... legend.

"They've gotta be around here somewhere," she muttered to herself. "What do you think Fira? Are we anywhere close?"

"Eevee," replied the Pokemon walking by her side.

"They have to be here. People have been talking about it back in town."

What is this trainer doing in the middle of the woods with her Eevee? Alicia, or Ali as she liked to be called, had heard some rumors about a certain tree and cocoon in the middle of a forest known as Allearth Forest and decided to come to find them. What is so special about this pair she sought? Well...

"Wah!" Ali slipped on something and started rolling down the hill. Fira was spooked when she saw this and rushed after her trainer.

Some time of rolling later, Ali crashed into a bush. Fira skidded to a stop not long after, looking at her trainer in the bushes in concern.

"Eevee?" she called.

"Ow... I'm okay," Ali said, getting up and out from her spot. Rubbing her head, she muttered, "I'm definitely going to feel that for a while..." The trainer then looked around, wondering where her rolling got her to.

As she turned to the meadow, her eyes widened in shock, as did her Eevee. There, in the middle of the meadow, was an odd-looking tree and a huge, oddly-shaped cocoon. The tree was white and had a few small holes at the front, seemingly shaping up an 'x'. Compared to other trees in the area, especially in the middle of spring season, this one tree didn't have a single leaf hanging on its branch. As for the cocoon, it was black with some grey spots and three spikes at the top.

A smile formed on Ali's face as she realized what sort of tree it was.

"They were right," she breathed out. "They really are here. Too bad they're not in their real form, though."

The tree and cocoon she and Fira saw before them... were Xerneas and Yveltal in their dormant form. Ali didn't know all the details exactly, but apparently, a few years back, tragedy struck Kalos in the form of Yveltal. Of what she had heard, some evil organization tried to awaken Yveltal and take all of its powers for their own. However, they underestimated the strength of a Legendary Pokemon and paid the price for it. Out of rage, Yveltal then went out and practically ended the life of many Pokemon. And it could've succeeded in ending all of Kalos, if Xerneas wasn't there. It used all its power to fight against Yveltal, doing everything it could to quell its rage, as well as revert its undoings back to normal. However, Yveltal was not one to relax that easily. In the end, however, it was thanks to the help of one other Pokemon that peace was restored. In the process, the two Legendary Pokemon were put in their dormant state.

"Well, just seeing them like this is good enough for me. How about you, Fira?" Ali asked her Pokemon partner.

"Eevee! Eevee!" the Eevee barked happily as it jumped a few times.

"Yeah. That's what I thought." Ali reached into her pocket and grabbed some Pokeballs. "Okay, guys. Come on out!" She called out the rest of her Pokemon team.

This team of hers consisted of a big, green mammal with a large flower on its back, a large, blue bear-like Pokemon with slanted eyes, a purple, slimy-looking dragon-like Pokemon, a small, white squirrel-like Pokemon with yellow cheeks, and a violet sea-star Pokemon with a big red gem at the front.

"Check this out, guys. We finally found the Legendary Pokemon of Kalos!" she said to her team. All of them looked and saw the dormant state the two legends were in. "I know it's not as awesome as seeing them in their more alive state, but just seeing them like this is still cool!" Fortunately for Ali, her team were also in awe at the two sleeping Legendary Pokemon, as each paid their respect to them in their own way. The trainer then dug into her bag and took out a Nikon D3500 camera and a tripod. "Get in position, guys. We came here to take a picture with them before we leave Kalos after all."

Her team all let out cries in agreement and took a place.

Ali was not just an ordinary trainer; she was also a photographer. Well, one can call her that at least, but she does it as a hobby rather than a career. She usually takes memorable shots of her journey, and keeps films filled with those photos on her.

After getting her camera set up, Ali looked up and saw her team ready for the shot. "Okay guys! Say 'cheese'!" she said, hitting a button and rushing to them. They all posed, as a flash and a click was seen and heard. Ali walked back to it and was content with the shot. "All right, team. Time for us to leave Kalos."

Her Pokemon all nodded in agreement, as she returned the majority of them in their Pokeballs and her camera back in her bag. Fira climbed up and onto her shoulder.

"Time to see where fate takes us to this time," Ali told the Eevee.

"Eevee!" she nodded.

Just as she was about to leave, however, Fira's ears twitched. The Eevee shot up and looked at one direction before leaping off Ali's shoulders and rushing towards whatever sound she was hearing, much to her trainer's shock.

"Wha-?! Fira?! Where are you going?!" Ali called out, running after her partner.

After some time of running, Ali chased Fira at a lake. The Normal-type Pokemon took a sip of the water, much to her trainer's amusement.

"Fira, if you were thirsty, you could've just said so," Ali said. As she approached the water, though, she started to hear something. Something that sounded like a song.

' _You are the ocean's gray waves~_ ' she heard.

"A voice?" she spoke. Looking back at Fira, she saw her Eevee looking quite content, swaying her head along with the music. "Ah, so it was this that brought you here. But who's singing?" Ali looked around and saw no one near them. If anything, though, it sounded like it was coming from the lake itself. Ali raised a brow in confusion and looked into the water, seeing nothing but a reflection of herself.

It was then, the unexpected happened. Her reflection changed into that of another person; a man with black hair in black clothes with a gold mask.

"Huh?" she managed to gasp out, as the water suddenly shot out of the lake, grabbed her, and pulled her in.

Ali held her breath in shock. What just happened?! Why was she being pulled into the lake?! At least, she thought it was, until she opened her eyes. Instead of what should be the bottom of the lake, the girl saw she was pulled in what seemed like a portal of sort.

' _Wha-?! Where am I?!_ ' she thought.

"That's another trainer to abduct and take Pokemon from," came an evil-sounding voice.

"Who's there?!" Ali attempted to question. However, she found herself unable to speak for some reason.

"Heh. It's pointless to scream for help! You'll be ending up just like the rest of the trainers we- Argh!" As the voice let out a cry in pain, Ali felt whatever was gripping her so tightly become loose. She turned and saw Fira gripping onto her bag, using a Swift attack at whoever it was that was dragging her away like so. Grabbing her Eevee, she swam away from what grabbed her and back to the surface.

Once her head was out of the water, Ali placed Fira on her shoulder and swam to shore as fast as she could. The second she made it there, the trainer crawled out of the water, as far as she could go with her remaining stamina. When she was at a good distance away, Ali lied on the ground in exhaustion.

"Wha-... What was that...?" she gasped. She heard rumors of rare, ancient, or even legendary Pokemon living in lakes, but never, had she ever, heard of a Pokemon that takes trainers in the water like what she went through.

"Eevee..." Fira whimpered in worry for her trainer, nuzzling her face.

"I'm fine, Fira... Just... Need a bit of rest," Ali assured. She looked back at the lake, wondering just what exactly had happened, as well as wondering about what she had heard.

Speaking of hearing, a roar was heard from above. Ali and Fira looked up and saw something big and orange flying over their heads.

"Isn't that... a Charizard?" the trainer wondered.

"Hey! Are you okay over there?!" came a voice.

Ali and Fira turned and saw a girl running over to her. To her confusion, the girl wore clothes famers would wear back in the past, and of what Ali remembered, the town nearby wasn't a village filled with farmers.

"Uh, yes. I'm all right," Ali answered, getting back up to her feet.

"Are you sure?" the girl asked.

"Positive."

"Eevee!" Fira barked excitedly, playfully jumping around the surprised farmer.

"Fira!" Ali grabbed the excited Pokemon and held her in her arms. "Sorry about that. Fira's really young, you see."

"Oh, no it's fine," the girl assured. Just as she did, the Charizard flying above landed right by her side, glaring at Ali and Fira, as he had his wing up to protect the girl, whom Ali could only assume is its trainer. "Charizard, hey. Ease up. They don't look bad," the villager girl told it, making it back down.

"Wow. With how you're handling this Charizard, there's no doubt that you are its trainer. Sure looks like a healthy one too," Ali stated.

The girl turned back to Ali at her words. "'Trainer'?" she repeated. She then looked down in thought, much to Ali's confusion. Looking back up at her, the child asked, "You wouldn't, by any chance, be a trainer yourself, would you?"

"I am. Why?"

"... Um... Where do you think you are? What kingdo- uh, region?"

The confusion on Ali's face changed into worry, as she answered, "Isn't this Kalos?"

The girl pursed her lips at the answer and shook her head in denial. "I-I'm afraid... You're not where you think you are."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well... This is the kingdom of Hoshido and..." The girl dug into a satchel she had on her and took out a map. "Do you... recognize anything on this map?"

Ali looked and was shocked beyond words. The map of the region, if she can call it that, was completely unfamiliar to her. It wasn't the map of Kalos, nor was it one of Kanto. In fact, of the several regions she had gone to, this map looked nothing like them.

It was then, Ali thought back to a certain news she heard of before she even left to Allearth Forest. The only thing she could say to this? "... Well... We are definitely far from home..."

* * *

It had been a couple of weeks since Ali arrived in another world, in Hoshido. During that time, she had been staying in a village, helping the people there with all sorts of things, along with her Pokemon. Mozu, the girl who found her, gave Ali a tour of the village, as well as explained to her about the new world she was in. She also told her about one other trainer who also ended up in their world, one Ali was familiar with. In fact, the trainer she was speaking of, Ali planned to meet her in the next region she wanted to go to after Kalos. To hear that the very trainer was here, how can she not want to go after her?

At least, that was what she planned at first. The day after she was told of the other trainer, trouble came to the village. It wasn't in a form of bandits, or of monsters she heard of called Faceless. No... It was in a form of a Pokemon.

This Pokemon was not dangerous, nor was it lost. Well, maybe it was lost, but that wasn't the problem with it. The Pokemon was a brown donkey with black, stiff mane and large, horizontal-slanted eyes. Ali had never seen a Pokemon like it. What she had seen, however, was a Pokemon in need of help. The Pokemon they found was quite injured, most likely from a hard fought battle, and was poisoned. According to Ali, they were lucky to have found the Pokemon in time and gave it the treatments it needed. The Pokemon was especially lucky Ali was there, for none of the villagers knew how to handle an injured Pokemon.

Upon seeing this, Ali knew she couldn't just leave the village. At least not just yet. Now that she knew Pokemon have been appearing in this world, she couldn't just leave the village without imparting some knowledge on how to care for sick and injured Pokemon. Honestly, she was shocked to know that the trainer before her didn't leave much knowledge on how to care for Pokemon. But, from what she got from the villagers, apparently that trainer was on a mission of sort, and she didn't leave the village completely blind; that trainer left behind berries and taught them what each ones were used for, as well as left behind the Charizard Ali thought belonged to Mozu, leaving him there to either protect the village or assist them in any of their daily tasks.

Speaking of such daily tasks...

"Fira! Use Quick Attack!" Ali commanded her Eevee. The Evolution Pokemon shot itself towards a large bear and headbutted it right in its skull. Due to the amount of force used on that one attack, it was enough to kill it. Ali turned to the impressed villagers with her. "That should do it."

"That's amazing, Ali! You trainers sure are something with Pokemon," one villager said.

"True, but compared to Riana, I'd say she still has some ways to go," another villager commented. "Riana would've taken that bear out in seconds with one of her Pokemon."

"True as it may be, Ali use a small Pokemon like that to take down a bear."

"Riana has a small Pokemon too. And I saw that Pokemon break a boulder with that wooden tail of its!"

Yeah... This was also something Ali had dealt with during her time in the village. Some villagers took a liking to her as some others did for Riana, the trainer that was here before her. She wasn't annoyed with it as much as she was interested in learning more about Riana, the first Champion of Alola.

"All right, guys. Knock it off," the village chief told the two. "We gotta take the bear back to the village before it gets rotten. This with all our other catch, I'd say it's enough to have a feast for the day."

"We did grow a lot of the berries Riana left us. My wife was thinking of making a meal out of them. See how they taste, especially since Riana said those fruits were a part of a daily diet for humans and Pokemon alike where they're from," a villager stated.

"Well, I wouldn't really say they're a part of a daily diet, but humans can eat them. So long as they can handle the taste for some of these berries that is," Ali informed.

"Really? Like which one?" the chief asked.

"Well... Let's just say the ones Riana left are all edible for human and Pokemon, and nothing else."

The villagers all sweatdropped at how she just dropped the topic like so.

"Anyway, the chief is right about one thing; we should hear back. I promised Mozu I'd help her with Muddy." At those words, Ali already rushed back to the village, with Fira jumping onto her shoulder.

Ah yes. Ever since they found that donkey of a Pokemon, it and Mozu kind of hit off quite well with each other. Well, it was more that the Pokemon really liked her for some reason. Not only that, but the Pokemon was quite helpful around the village. For one thing, it helped with a lot of heavy-lifting despite its size and it helped fertilize the crops with Rototiller. As a little cherry on top, Ali and the villagers all wondered about what to feed an unknown Pokemon, only to find out that its main diet was mud. That being said, they didn't have to worry much about food.

"Mozu! Hey!" Ali called out to the farm girl with the donkey Pokemon. Fira leapt off her trainer's shoulder and dashed on towards the two, playing with the new Pokemon.

"Hi, Ali!" Mozu greeted.

"How's it going with Muddy?" Ali asked.

"Great! Muddy's looking as healthy as ever, he's been helping out a lot with our crops and berries, and just earlier, he helped an elderly farmer pull a large wagon of our freshly picked crops. I'm still amazed he's able to do so much and not look tired at all."

"Heh. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was fate that brought it here. I mean, that Pokemon is just perfect for this village. Helps with heavy duties, grow crops, and you don't have to worry much about feeding it, as its diet comes from mud. Or rather, the soil here."

"Yeah. Though I wouldn't really count the last part as much of a good thing." Mozu suddenly crouched down, hugging her knees, and had a dark cloud over her head, as she said, with a fake smile, "I still remember that one time I got really dirty helping out with digging the potatoes out, and Muddy did a little more than clean me up."

Ali couldn't help but chuckle at the poor farmer's memory. Mozu wasn't exaggerating with what she said. Like a Heracross to a honey-covered human, when Mozu came home all dirtied up from the mud and soil, Muddy licked it all off her face and her clothes... and whatever was under her clothes. Yeah... to this day, the farmer was embarrassed even from the mere memory of it, and was glad that of the many humans in the village, Ali was the only person who saw such a scene occur.

"Now, now. Let's not go back to that memory lane. I want to see how you and Muddy improved in terms of battling," the trainer said.

Those words cheered the villager up. Ever since Mozu and Muddy became a team, the former practically begged Ali to teach her everything about being a good trainer, especially in terms of battling. The other-worldly trainer was shocked at the request, but upon hearing the reason behind it, Ali couldn't turn her back on someone so determined.

"Thanks again for agreeing to teach me," Mozu thanked Ali, as the two made their way out of the village.

"I should be the one thanking you," Ali said. "If you and Charizard hadn't found me, I would still be lost in those woods. Worst case scenario is going against those Faceless monsters you spoke of."

"Yeah, but with your Pokemon with you, something tells me that you would've been just fine."

"Yeah."

As if taking that as a challenge, however, trouble arrived, when a certain Pokemon came flying down, roaring.

"Charizard? What's wrong?" Mozu asked the panicking Pokemon.

This sort of reaction was a first for Ali. She had never seen a Charizard panicking the way this one was. As far as she knew, Charizard are the type of Pokemon that likes to fight against powerful opponents. So why is this one...?

"Hey," she called to it. "Can you fly me up? You're trying to tell us something, aren't you?"

Charizard nodded and got the trainer on its back, flying high into the air. Imagine Ali's shock... when she saw a large horde of Faceless approaching the village.

"So that's what got you panicking..." she breathed in understanding. "We have to evacuate the village!"

Not wasting a second, Charizard flew back down.

"We have a big emergency!" she shouted the moment they landed, grabbing the attention of everyone in the village. "You know those monsters you told me about? Those Faceless? A large horde of them is on their way here now from the south! Everyone evacuate the village immediately!"

That got the people panicking, as they dropped everything they were doing and head north.

"Ali, what about you?" Mozu asked, noticing the girl and Charizard facing south, where the Faceless were coming from.

"Charizard and I'll stall these guys long enough for you all to escape," Ali said, much to the farmer girl's shock.

"What?! But you can't stop them by yourself!"

"Did you forget, Mozu? I'm not alone. Fira!" The Eevee jumped on Ali's shoulder at her call. "We'll catch up when we can! You and Muddy make sure everyone gets out of here!"

Without another word, Ali jumped on Charizard's back and the two flew into the woods.

"Ali!" Mozu called out.

Muddy walked to Mozu and looked at her in concern. "Bray..."

The villager looked back to everyone else, and saw them all escaping their home, no one left behind. She then looked back into the woods, where Ali was, and then down at herself. Ali was not a part of their world; she wasn't taught how to fight they way they did, yet there she was, doing what she can to protect them. It wasn't just her; Riana did the same for this village. Neither trainers were even a part of their world, neither one had to feel responsible in any way for what would happen to the village, neither one had to fight for them. And yet... They were fighting for them. Ali was going to protect the village, or at least try to stall the Faceless long enough for everyone to escape, and Riana left her Charizard for the exact same reason. For her friends to do so much for her home... and yet look at her. She wasn't going to stand by and let them die doing what she should be doing.

Picking up an abandoned naginata, she said to Muddy, "I hope you're strong and fast enough to carry a passenger to battle, Muddy. Because we have a friend to help out!"

Sensing her determination, the Pokemon nodded, "Mudbray!"

With that, Mozu got on the donkey Pokemon and both charged right into the woods.

* * *

With Ali, once Charizard was flying right above the horde, the trainer jumped off the Flame Pokemon and landed right in the center of the group, getting the monsters' attention.

"Hi there, Faceless. How do you do?" she casually greeted. The girl then took out a Pokeball from her pocket and called out one of her Pokemon from within. "Let's go, Sage!"

Out of the Pokeball was her Venusaur, and he was ready to battle.

"Sage, use Frenzy Plant!" At Ali's order, Sage slammed his front legs down hard, calling upon giant roots from the ground, all that smacked, whacked, and knocked some of the Faceless away. "Fira, Quick Attack!" With a burst of speed, Fira ran across the Frenzy Plant, jumping and tackling one Faceless to another. Unfortunately, the monsters of Nohr were sturdier than they seemed, as they practically felt nothing from the hit. Those that got hit by the Frenzy Plant slowly got back up, with some evaporating from existence.

Ali noticed this and grimaced. "These things are tougher than they look," she noted. "Even Frenzy Plant is not enough." From the corner of her eyes, she saw some of the Faceless ignoring the battle and continued on to the village. "What the-?! Hey!"

Charizard breathed out a Flamethrower from above, burning down a couple of the weakened Faceless, as well as keeping some escaping ones at bay. However, the monstrosities did not at all seemed bother by the flames and continued on.

"They're ignoring the flames too?!" Ali gasped in shock. She was more shocked to hear a familiar scream nearby. "Was that... Mozu?!" She attempted to go in and find her, but unfortunately, a Faceless got in the way and raised a fist up to hit her. Ali thought fast and ducked under the swing. "Whoa! That was close!"

Seeing the cowardly move the Faceless had done, in a Pokemon's eyes that is, Charizard let out a loud roar and dove down for a Wing Attack. His attack hit, but the Faceless grabbed him by the wings and tossed him into some trees, breaking some of them down.

Ali saw the downed Pokemon getting surrounded by a few Faceless. "Oh no, Charizard! Fira, use Swift! Sage, Solar Beam!" The two Pokemon unleashed their called attacks on their targets, defeating the Faceless and saving their friend. "Nice shot, Fira! You too, Sage!"

"A Pokemon trainer?!" came a gasp.

Ali turned to the voice and was surprised to see someone nearby. No... Not just any 'someone'. She had seen her on the news and some magazines and newspapers. There was no way she could ever not know who she was.

"R-... Riana the Alola Champion?!"


	14. Tragedies

**It has been so, so long since I last updated a Pokemon Emblem story! I do apologize so much for the wait! BUT! I'm back, I have finally updated! Do enjoy this with all your heart everyone! Well... that is, except for the second half of it...**

 **Warning to those of you who would like to spend the rest of your day thinking happy thoughts. Near the end of the chapter, there will be some gruesome scenes... It's short... but still quite scarring... You have been warned.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Fire Emblem of any kind for either of them. I do own my OC. Adrian is owned by Antex- The Legendary Zoroark. Ali(cia) is owned by kitsunelover300.**

* * *

"Normal people talking"

' _Thoughts_ '

" _ **Z-MOVE!**_ "

" _ **Dragon-type Pokemon talking**_ " Only from Corrin's perspective

" _Pokemon talking_ "

* * *

If there was one thing Riana did not at all expect to see in Hoshido, it would be the arrival of another Pokemon trainer. Sure, she knew there'd be a possibility of meeting another trainer, but she figured it may be in Nohr if and when she and the others went there for some reason. She may had met Adrian, a fellow trainer, in Hoshido, but that was because he was sent there, not because he had most likely been abducted like most of the other trainers back home. So for her to meet another Pokemon trainer in Hoshido, and in Mozu's village at that, she couldn't help but wonder how many other trainers were sent to this world. Not dragged to it, but sent.

"R-... Riana the Alola Champion?!" the trainer before her gasped out.

' _She knows me?!_ ' Riana mentally questioned, wondering if this girl was from her world, Adrian's world, or if there was yet another alternate Pokemon world out there where she was the Alolan Champion.

She snapped herself out of it when she saw a Faceless coming to attack the trainer from behind. Riana swiftly pulled out a Pokeball and called out the Pokemon from within. "Accelerock!"

"Quick Attack!" the other trainer called out.

Popping out of his ball, Lycanroc quickly dashed past the female trainer and struck the ambushing Faceless. At the same time, the trainer's Eevee dashed past Riana and struck another Faceless that was going to do the same to the Alolan Champion.

The two trainers approached each other and went back to back, watching the surrounding Faceless with their Pokemon partners by their side, as well as protecting the weakened Charizard near them.

"I'd introduce myself, but you seem to know me already. Who are you?" Riana asked, eyes on the Faceless around them.

"Alicia. But call me Ali," the trainer introduced.

"There's a village near here. Are the villagers-?"

"Safe. Managed to get them to evacuate before these guys reached it."

Hearing that brought relief to Riana. "Then what do you say we clear this area of Faceless?"

A smile formed on Ali's face at the question. "Yes, ma'am!"

Just as she answered that, the sound of blade piercing into flesh was heard, and the two girls and their Pokemon saw Corrin, Azura, their Pokemon and Jakob arriving to the scene.

"Riana! Are you okay?!" Corrin asked.

"Guys!" the Alolan Champion called out.

"Are they friends?" Ali asked.

"They are." An idea came to her head, upon seeing some Faceless turning their attention to the reinforcements. "Guys! Get the Faceless to gather in one place!"

Knowing she had an idea when she requested that, the two princesses, their Pokemon, and the butler did as requested and did their best to gather their Faceless in one area.

"You have an idea?" Ali asked her.

"I do. Help me gather the Faceless in the same area as them!" With that last request, the two trainers and their own Pokemon did what they could to get the remaining Faceless around them in one spot as well.

* * *

Meanwhile, near the village, Mozu and Muddy did what they could to kill the Faceless nearby. Muddy landed some mean kicks and took some punches for himself and Mozu while the girl finished off the Faceless with a good jab on the chest. Each time the Pokemon took the hit, Mozu noticed him glowing an orange aura, and the hits after the first didn't seem to have as much effect on him as the previous ones. Some times Muddy would stomp his front feet on the ground, creating a sort of quake that struck the nearby Faceless. Mozu couldn't help but notice how the Faceless seemed to have slowed down upon receiving that hit. Unfortunately, despite the advantage they have in terms of speed, there were still too many Faceless approaching and attacking them.

"Where do they keep coming from?" she wondered, getting tired from swinging her naginata around.

Muddy was also feeling exhausted. Compared to the times working on the field, battling against a horde of monsters with a passenger on his back was a different story. Even with the Oran and Sitrus Berries Mozu gave him to regain his health and strength, it didn't really help him regain some stamina.

A Faceless charged towards the villager and Pokemon pair. Muddy stood his ground and took the monster's punch to the head, enduring the hit, while Mozu struck it down. However, when she defeated the Faceless, what she didn't expect was another Faceless coming from behind the one she killed, its fist raised for the kill. Mozu froze in shock, unable to react fast enough to avoid the first closing in on her.

Luckily for her, a burst of flames came and struck the Faceless, causing it to recoil away from Mozu as it tried to put out the fire.

"Excellent shot, Reaper!" Adrian commented, as he, his Houndoom and Gunter arrived at the scene.

"Are you all right?!" the old knight asked Mozu.

"Y-Yeah! We're fine!" she answered.

Adrian looked around and saw none of the Faceless in the village, and noticed how exhausted the villager girl and Muddy looked. "You got guts, holding these monsters off on your own," he commented, quite impressed with the feat. "Leave the rest to the big boys now."

"No," Mozu denied. "This is my home! I'm sick of seeing people I care about protect it when they have nothing to do with our home. This is my fight as well, and you can't make me change my mind!"

"Mudbray!" Muddy spoke, also not wanting to leave the fight.

Adrian looked at the pair, then at the approaching Faceless. Seeing the determination Mozu and Muddy had and that they had no time to argue, Adrian and Gunter decided to let them do as they wish.

"Don't hold us back or die on us," the trainer simply said, calling out another Pokemon. "Just in case, though... Ghoul, help us out!" Out of the ball was his Cofagrigus.

"Cofafafa!" he laughed out.

"Protect the girl and her Mudbray!" Adrian ordered him. Without question, Ghoul went by Mozu and Muddy's side.

* * *

Back to Corrin's group, they managed to group up their Faceless in one area, just as Riana had asked them to. For extra measures, Ali had Sage use Frenzy Plant to keep the group trapped, and Rocky used Rock Throw to further surround the Faceless and lessen their chance of breaking away from each other.

"The Faceless are trapped!" she informed Riana.

The Alolan trainer nodded in confirmation, before turning to her Lycanroc. "Ready, Lycanroc?"

"Canroc!" he nodded.

"Okay! Then let's go! The rest of you steer clear!" With the Wolf Pokemon in front of her, her Z-Ring glowing, and her friends clearing the area as quickly as they could, Riana did some familiar poses, the last one displaying whatever muscles she had. From those poses, a dark brown aura formed on her body, which transferred over to Lycanroc, as he leapt high up into the air. "Have a taste, Faceless... of what our bond can do! _**CONTINENTAL CRUSH!**_ "

With rocks on the ground flying high above Lycanroc's head, forming together into one huge boulder, the Wolf Pokemon hurled it down on the horde of monsters. The boulder crushed the Faceless and ended whatever lives they had left.

Jakob, Ali and Ali's Pokemon were all speechless at what they had saw. While the butler was shocked to see a large boulder formed, as there was not a single spell he knew of that could do such a thing, the photographer of a trainer and her Pokemon had never seen a Z-Move before. To know there was such a move that was even more powerful than Hyper Beam, Giga Impact, and even Blast Burn, Frenzy Plant, and Hydro Cannon, was a surprise for her.

Corrin, Azura, and their Pokemon were the only ones that were simply impressed with the finisher. Even if that wasn't the first time they saw a Z-Move, they just couldn't help but always be impressed with the power the move held.

"Is that all the Faceless?" Riana asked Ali, snapping the latter out of her daze.

"Huh? Oh, no! Some Faceless slipped past the fight and are heading to the village!" the photographer trainer informed.

"Adrian and Gunter are there. But they may need help!" Corrin said.

"Then we must make haste!" Jakob exclaimed.

Suddenly, at the direction of the village, they saw a large burst of flames, followed by what sounded like roars of pain.

"Something tells me they don't need the help," Azura simply stated, knowing so well where those flames are from.

* * *

With Adrian's group, as Azura had said, the trio of humans and trio of Pokemon didn't need any help. After killing off the Faceless that was entering the village, with Muddy the Mudbray helping out by blocking the monsters' attacks and slowing them down with Bulldoze, the group face against what seemed like the leader of the Faceless.

It was a Faceless like the rest, only much bigger than them and even slower than the majority. Adrian's group took advantage of its slow speed and attacked with all they had. However, the leader proved to be much more sturdier than the rest, and was much stronger than them as well, which made beating it more difficult. It wasn't until Adrian and Reaper performed their Z-Move that they finally defeated the monstrosity once and for all.

"Man that Faceless was stubborn," Adrian stated, looking down at the burned remains of the leader while returning Reaper and Ghoul back in their Pokeballs.

Gunter took a look around the perimeter. "It seems that's the last one. And we managed to protect the village as well," he said.

Mozu sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness."

"Mozu! Muddy!" came a voice.

The small group looked and saw Mozu's mother entering the village, running straight to Mozu and Muddy and pulled them in a hug.

"I was so worried! What were you both thinking?!" she cried out, tightening her embrace on the pair.

The two, Mozu especially, knew how worried the woman must be for them. After all, they were told to evacuate the village, and they chose to stay and fight instead.

Breaking the hug, Mozu's mother then said, "Don't you ever, EVER do something as reckless as that again! Do you understand me?!"

Mozu could only nod, with Muddy also nodding along.

"If I may," Gunter spoke. "Reckless as the two of them may be, they were also quite brave. They managed to protect this village from a number of Faceless before we arrived."

As kind as his words and tone may be, one look at his armor brought fear to the woman.

"A... A Nohrian?" she questioned.

"That he may be, he's also a good guy who helped your daughter," Adrian told her. "Plus, from what we heard, he's basically already a traitor of sort to them, so he has no ties to the Nohrian army whatsoever."

Those words didn't reassure the woman, as footsteps were heard from both the north and the south side of the village.

"Did you find Mozu?!" the chief asked, meeting up with Mozu's mother, as did the rest of the villagers from the north.

"Yes! She's safe!" the woman informed.

"Hey! Is everyone okay?!" came Riana's voice.

"Yeah! We're fine," Adrian answered, as his fellow retainer and the others met up with him and Gunter, with Riana's Incineroar carrying Charizard on his back.

The villagers all stood there, frozen in shock when they saw her. None were as shocked as Mozu. Sure the Pokemon Champion promised she'd come back, but they heard about what happened in Hoshido and thought the worst.

"Riana?" Mozu spoke, getting the girl's attention.

Seeing the many eyes on her, Riana felt a bit uncomfortable. No, it wasn't that she was uncomfortable; she was used to attention, being the first Champion of Alola and the youngest trainer to become a Champion. There she was, back in the first village that welcomed her with open arms, the very village that did their best to help her however they could, only to be helped instead, and the very start of her journey in this world.

With a small, nervous smile, Riana rubbed her head and greeted, "Hey. It's been a while."

As if a switch had been flicked, much to the shock of Corrin and the others, Riana got tackled down by Mozu, her mother, and about half the village. "RIANA~!"

"OOF!" The champion felt herself getting crushed by the combined weight of the villagers. "You're heavy! Let me out!" The girl tried her best to crawl out of their grip, only to prove that to be futile.

With her friends' assistance, the villagers released their grip on the poor trainer, and they all gathered around in the village. Though that didn't mean they were having a civil conversation.

"We heard what happened at Castle Shisaragi!"

"Are you okay?!"

"Is it true you became traitor to Hoshido?!"

"Why are there Nohrians with you?!"

Voices overlapped each other, but the group managed to hear some of the questions asked. Unfortunately, they weren't given a chance to say anything in response, as more questions and statements followed the ones they heard.

The overlapped voices came to a stop, when a shout and what sounded like a neigh were heard.

"Gosh darn it! Give them some space!" Mozu said to the villagers. "Riana just got back, and she and her friends can't say a word with all of ya talking amongst one another like that!"

To say that the villagers were surprised to hear her shout like that would be an understatement. She wasn't a soft spoken girl, but Mozu never raised her voice the way she did before. Even Riana was shocked.

"She's right! You're all being disrespectful to them!" Ali supported the girl. "Especially to those of you who asked about Nohrians! It doesn't matter where they're from if they helped protect the village."

Those extra words calmed the villagers down, as they tried asking their questions once again, this time individually. After explaining to them what really happened at Castle Shisaragi and the choice Corrin had made, everyone became at ease. Once explanations were done, as thanks for helping protect their home, as well as a way to welcome Riana back, the villagers all decided to host a party for the heroes, to their embarrassment. Even Ali, Mozu, their Pokemon and Charizard became guests of honor, as they had also protected the village to the best of their abilities. The Flame Pokemon in question was treated to some Super Potions and Oran Berries and regained all his strength and health.

* * *

As the party went on, Riana took the time to catch up with Mozu and got to know Ali. Corrin and Azura were with her, both wanting to get to know the villager who helped Riana on her first week in their world.

"How can something cute-looking be ferociously dangerous?!" Corrin questioned in disbelief, as Mozu and Riana told the princesses how they met.

"Believe me, I've been asking myself that same question ever since," the villager said, still slightly scarred with that meeting.

"The Pokemon certainly know how to live up to their names, don't they?" Azura said in amusement.

"You can say that again," Riana agreed. "What about you and Ali? How did you guys meet? In fact, how did you get to this world?"

"It was... really weird," the photographer trainer answered. "I was in Kalos region to take a picture of a pair of legendary Pokemon that were seen in the middle of the woods. After taking a group shot with them and my team, Fira took off to a lake. At first, I thought she got thirsty, but then heard this song. Quite an entrancing song, at that."

"A song?" Corrin repeated in a questioned tone.

"Yeah. I don't remember the words exactly, but it went something like..." Ali hummed out the song she and Fira heard before they were dragged into this world. As she did so, Corrin, Azura, and Riana widened their eyes in shock and looked at each other, very familiar with the song she was humming.

"And that song got you here?" Riana asked her.

"It wasn't that song. At least, I don't think it is." Ali's answer brought more confusion to their faces. "I looked into the lake, since that was what sounded like where the song came from. And next I knew, my reflection changed into... someone else's and the water from the lake sort of... grabbed me and pulled me in it. And while I was being pulled to Arceus-knows-where, I heard this voice. This one louder and clearer and much different from the song. Said something like... 'That's another trainer to abduct and take Pokemon from'." The confusion changed into puzzled looks. "If it wasn't for Fira, something tells me I would've been in a dangerous place." The girls all looked at the Eevee in question, who was playing with Rocky and Blue.

After they heard her story, Riana and the princesses looked at each other once more, getting a good idea of what happened and would've happened to Ali.

"Ali... I'm asking you to be sure, but have you... I don't know, heard of rumors of disappearing trainers?" Riana asked.

"I did, yes. And the slow drop of Pokemon population as well," the girl answered. "In fact, I'm surprised you also got taken by this... weird force as well. All the region champions have been trying to figure out what was going on for weeks now. Although, I didn't think you were going to help look into it. I mean, I know you're the Pokemon Champion of Alola, but there were no mention of you helping out as well. Is it because you're still a teenager?"

"I was actually busy helping out the people of Alola with a bunch of problems and didn't hear about it until the day I was sent here..."

"I do remember hearing of how helpful you were in Alola."

"She is quite the busy body," Mozu said. "Before she left, she constantly helped each and every one of us with our work."

"Same thing happened with us back at the capital. This one time, our sister, Hinoka, had a problem with her pegasus. Everyone was panicking and didn't know what to do, when Riana came and got on its back," Azura added in.

"You did that?! But that's dangerous!" Corrin questioned the trainer of a retainer.

"True. But there was a similar situation back home with a Pokemon called a Ponyta, which is a white horse with fiery mane and tail. Plus, no one else knew what to do to help, and I can't just stand back and watch it suffer in pain like that," Riana reasoned.

"Any good, normal trainer wouldn't get into other's business, whether or not it involves Pokemon. But any great trainer wouldn't just stand by and let things be if it meant someone was in pain, human and Pokemon alike," Ali said.

"That's exactly right." Riana held out a fist for a bump, in which her fellow trainer returned. "I'm guessing it's the same with you?"

"I've been a trainer for years, so I know where you're coming from. That, and I'm not one who stands around in the first place, especially when I see a Pokemon in need."

"And that, is spoken like a true trainer." Riana placed a hand on Ali's shoulder in understanding and respect.

"Riana! Ali!" The girls perked up when they heard the trainers' name being called and saw the village elder and chief walking towards them.

"Elder! Chief!" Mozu greeted.

"Is there something we can do for you?" the Alolan trainer asked.

"We were actually wonder what you guys were going to do after this. Will you be staying in our village or are you all heading somewhere?" the chief asked.

"We're planning on staying for the night. When morning comes, we plan on heading towards Fort Jinya, hoping to speak with our siblings," Corrin answered.

"I see. And what of you, Riana and Ali?"

"I'm planning on following Corrin's group. After all, I'm not just a trainer, or Alola's Pokemon champion. I'm also Azura's retainer." That little piece of information surprised Ali and the villagers nearby.

"Really?! When was this?!" Mozu asked.

"I've been her retainer for a month now, around the time when I arrived in Castle Shisaragi. But other than that fact, there's also that... there's still a lot of people who don't know about Pokemon, and there are people who use them as weapons. I've seen that happen." This revelation was especially surprising for Ali, who listened on with wide eyes. "And not only that, but there's also the fact that there are still trainers getting abducted from my world, trainers who are most likely put through hell just to have their Pokkemon given up. Ali, who is one of them, was lucky enough to escape, thanks to her Eevee. I can't stay here, knowing that there are still some people out there who needs help in more ways than one. I can't live with myself like that. I'm going with them."

It was silent when she said that. In truth, the chief and the elder suspected there may be people who would try to use Pokemon as a weapon. Heck, they heard from the villagers that a couple of bandits had tried to capture a Pokemon and use it for their own gains. But still, to think there were actually people who succeeded in doing such a thing...

"I understand," the chief said. "In that case, come morning, we will prep you and your friends with the berries you've lent us. We've grown quite a lot of them, and have more than enough to spare."

Riana, Corrin and Azura's eyes widened at the kind offer. "Are you sure?" the songstress asked.

"Of course."

"Let me come along as well!" Ali insisted, much to the other's surprise. "You think I'm going to stay after hearing what's happening with Pokemon in other places? Think again! Like I said, I'm not going to stand by and watch when a Pokemon is in need of help! If there are people abusing Pokemon for their own benefits, you can count me in to help you stop them! Besides, something tells me you need more than two natural trainers on this journey. I'm helping you guys, even if you don't want it!"

"You do know we're also... kind of in a middle of a big war, right? We're not just going to fight Pokemon."

"Yeah, I heard about that. But that's not going to stop me from doing what I want. Sure, the thought of actually going into battle and getting more than just hurt is scary... And if what Riana said is true, and I might get captured and possibly tortured in giving up my Pokemon, I don't care! That's just going to remind me that more people, more Pokemon need just as much help as I will. None of you are going to change my mind about this. I'm joining you guys!"

The girls looked at each other in astonishment. They didn't think they'd meet anyone eager to join them like Ali was. Then again, she did put up a good point; they could use all the help they can get, both with the battle ahead and in saving the Pokemon and trainers the Nohrians have captive.

After some time of contemplating, they made their decision. "If you're sure, we'll be glad to have you with us!" Corrin said.

"I'll do my best!" Ali saluted.

While this conversation was taking place, Mozu looked down, a bit saddened that her two friends were going to leave... again. She had accepted the fact that Ali was going to leave like Riana would, but even still, that didn't mean she wasn't going to be saddened by her leave. And Riana just came back; she hoped the girl and her friends were going to stay for another day or two at least.

Almost as though sensing her sadness, Muddy came to her side and gave her a nudge. The farm girl looked down at the Mudbray and gave him a good stroke on his neck. Looking at the group, then at her Pokemon, and back, Mozu made her own decision.

* * *

The next day, the whole village plus Charizard gathered at the entrance, where Corrin's army gathered, preparing their journey to Fort Jinya.

"Are you sure you can't stay another day?" the elder asked.

"As much as we would love to, we really must be going," Azura told him.

"Speak for yourself," Jakob muttered under his breath, not really enjoying their stay as much as everyone else was. Not for his sake, no; but for Corrin's sake, even though the princess was okay with their stay.

Adrian, who was right next to him, heard his muttering and elbowed him in the gut. Jakob held his stomach in pain and glared at the male trainer.

"I'm going to miss you both," Mozu's mother said to Ali and Riana, holding some scarf-wrapped packages. "Here. Some food for the road."

"Thank you," Ali thanked, as the two trainers accepted the packages.

"Keep protecting this village. Okay, Charizard?" Riana said to her Ride Pokemon.

"Raah!" it nodded.

The pair of female trainers then looked at the crowd, sad looks placed on their faces.

"Is something the matter?" Gunter asked.

"It's just... Mozu's not around. Neither are her Mudbray and Charizard," Riana said.

As soon as she said that, a cry was heard. "Wait! Wait for me!"

"Braaay!" followed a different cry.

The villagers parted, revealing Mozu and Muddy approaching the group. The girl had a satchel bag and a naginata on her, and Muddy donned a saddle.

"I'm coming with you!" the farmer said, to everyone's shock.

"Mozu?!" Her mother was especially shocked to hear that.

"Do you know how many times this village was in danger? How many times we were saved by the two of you? I've never felt so useless in all my life, and I want to change that! You both helped us out, in many ways, and I want to repay that! Let me help you!"

"Mudbray bray!"

Everyone could see how determined Mozu and Muddy were, how serious the two were in wanting to come along.

Riana and Ali looked over to Corrin, both wondering what they should do.

Corrin simply gave them a small smile and shrugged, gesturing that she was okay with the girl coming if they were.

"Well, we do need help with farming. And we could use an extra hand in handling some wild and scared Pokemon we'll be coming across," Riana said.

"Welcome aboard!" Ali said to Mozu.

Both girl and her Mudbray were elated to hear they were allowed to join.

Mozu's mother approached her and Muddy. "Be safe out there, Mozu. And don't get into unnecessary troubles, okay?" the woman told her.

"I'll try, mother," she replied.

To the Donkey Pokemon, her mother said to him, "Keep my daughter safe."

"Mudbray!" he nodded.

"Until then, mother..." Mozu took out a familiar Pokeball from her person and passed on to the woman.

"Well then. Shall we get going?" Gunter asked.

The group nodded and made their way to their destination, all waving farewell to the villagers, who waved back with Charizard letting out a roar in farewell.

"I wish you best of luck!" the elder called.

"Take care of each other!" the chief followed.

"We will! Thank you!" Riana called back.

"Thanks for everything!" Ali followed.

"I'll be back soon!" followed Mozu.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Nohr, let's just say things were as Riana and Ali had feared, specifically for a certain group of people.

"Run, now! And don't turn back!" a male adult voice shouted.

A trio of figures rushed down the dark halls of a castle, running as fast as their legs could take them. Behind them, all three could hear the guy shouting commands, doing whatever he can to protect them long enough to at least escape from the castle.

It took a little while, but the trio managed to escape out of the castle walls. They didn't stop running when they got out, no... They continued to push their legs, taking them farther away from the castle. Unfortunately, it wasn't long until one of them gave out on the other two, and collapsed on her knees in exhaustion.

"Mom?!" the youngest of the trio called, seeing the woman down. His call caused the other boy, one older than him, to stop in his tracks as well.

"I... I can't run any longer..." the woman panted.

"Sure you can. We'll just take a minute of break," the teen boy said.

"No, we can't. Not with those people after us."

"Then I'll carry you! Or one of us will have our Pokemon carry you!"

"Listen to me!" The teenager shut his mouth when the woman raised her voice.

"Hey. Do you hear something?" they faintly heard.

The youngest boy looked and saw an alley nearby and gestured the other two in it. Both the teen and the woman, the latter with the former's help, managed to catch on to what the kid was gesturing and snuck in, blending in with the shadows.

"Listen to me," the woman spoke again, this time in a softer tone. "I don't know why we're here, but I do know that these people won't stop until they get what they want. They're not like the criminal organizations from back home; they're far worse. I'll try and distract them long enough for you two to run. And whatever you do, do not turn back, and do not try to help. Stick together, and take care of each other. Do you understand me?"

Her demand shocked the boys to their very core.

"But we-"

"Do you understand me?!" the woman interrupted the child.

Upon hearing the tone she used, the teen knew she was serious about this. Likewise, he knew how dangerous those people back there were. They had actual weapons, and they saw and heard trainers and Pokemon in pain back in the castle. These guys were definitely not anyone to be messed with in more ways than one. And by the sound of faint shouting and footsteps approaching their way, he knew what he had to do...

"I promise," he said. The child looked at the teen in shock at those two words.

Before he could protest against the decision, the woman pulled them in a hug. "I'll miss you both. And hope you two get out of this safely."

"Same here..." the teen said, hugging her back.

The kid knew he didn't have a choice in the matter now, and returned the embrace, holding back tears that threatened to form.

Breaking off the hug, the woman looked at them once more before rushing out of the alley. Turning to one side, she saw a small group of the people they ran from nearby. "Hey! Over here!" she called, taking off to the opposite direction, away from the alley.

The teen held his breath and pulled the kid close to him, covering both their mouths to silent any heavy breathing, and hiding behind some barrels. Peeking out from their hiding place, he saw the men chasing after the woman, none stopping to look in the alley. It wasn't long until they all passed the alley, thus bringing the boys out of the danger zone.

The teen slowly got up, keeping the boy hidden behind the barrel and placing his finger on his lips, telling him to stay quiet. Upon seeing the child nod, the teen slowly walked back to the entrance, looking both ways to see no sign of any of their pursuers. He let out a sigh in relief and walked back to his companion. No... not just any companion...

"What are we going to do now, big bro...?" the kid asked.

His brother ran a hand through his hair. This was certainly not how he imagined his day. One minute, he and his brother were helping their parents set up the table for lunch. As they helped, the television, which was displaying a news at the time, got staticy and turned fuzzy, confusing the family of four. As they went to check it out, they suddenly got pulled into what might be a portal and found themselves in a large room, with a strange man holding a book in front of them, and soldiers surrounding the room. As soon as the strange man said something about abducting the Pokemon from them, their father took action and called out his Pokemon to blind the people around them, long enough for the four to sneak out of the room. And as they ran, they saw it...

Trainers chained against walls or ceilings. Some had horrible scars on their body, others with bad bruises. There were even a few trainers who seemed to have gone through even worst tortures than the rest. As if that wasn't bad enough, in another room, they saw Pokemon also chained. The bigger stronger ones did what they could to remove their binds, while the smaller, weaker ones had injuries all over them, worse than the ones gained from any hard Pokemon battles, as the ones these Pokemon had... were bad enough to possibly kill them. They even saw some Pokemon just sitting or lying in their cage, having given up on trying to escape. Above all... each and every one of these Pokemon... had scars on them...

The mere thought of what they saw back there left more than just a bad taste in the older brother's mouth.

"Mark. What are we going to do?" he heard his little brother ask again, this time in a scared and hoarse tone.

Mark looked down at his sibling, whose eyes were tearing up in fear. His brother was always quite the shy one, so for him to be in this sort of situation? A situation where both their parents had practically sacrificed themselves for them? How could the kid not be scared?

Mark placed a hand on his head and pulled his little brother close. "We'll do what our parents wanted us to," he said at last. "We have to get out of here."

"Without them?" the child asked.

"I know what you're thinking, Nate... I want to save them too. But if we go back there without a proper plan, what happened to those trainers will happen to us too. Mom and dad... They'd want us to be free from that... To find someone who could help us..."

Nate just put his head down and cried, trying his best to hold back his sobs so as to not alert anyone of their presence. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he knew his brother was right... Even with their Pokemon, there was little chance that they will be able to save anyone.

Mark let his brother cry it out, cry out not the lack of choices they had, but the situation they were somehow forced in. They were just a simple, normal family who wanted to have their family get-together, with one other member who was lucky enough to not be there at the time. And for that last member's sake, Mark hoped that person didn't get dragged in like they did.

"Let's find a map, some clothes to blend in to, and figure out a way out of this... this city..." he told his brother. Nate didn't trust his voice enough to speak and simply nodded.

' _For your sake, I really hope you don't get dragged into this... Ali..._ '


	15. Traitor's Brand

**I wasn't quite satisfied with last chapter, despite the good reviews, mainly with the battle portion. And so... I decided to make another update for this story! The Traitor's Brand chapter, with some added twists and skits! I hope you all will enjoy this one as much as you did the previous one!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Fire Emblem of any kind for either of them. I do own my OC. Adrian is owned by Antex- The Legendary Zoroark. Ali(cia) is owned by kitsunelover300.**

* * *

"Normal people talking"

' _Thoughts_ '

" _ **Z-MOVE!**_ "

" _ **Dragon-type Pokemon talking**_ " Only from Corrin's perspective

" _Pokemon talking_ "

* * *

After the events that took place back in Mozu's village, Corrin and the others made their way to Fort Jinya, where they hoped to be able to convince some Hoshidans, namely her siblings, to join them in their cause without question. As much as they wanted to tell them the truth, about Valla, if they so much as to speak of it, they would sadly disappear, just as Azura's mother had. They were thankful that Mozu and Ali didn't question their purpose for heading towards their destination or pushing on the subject.

While they made their way to Fort Jinya, Fira's ear twitched, as she heard something closeby. As she was riding Ali's shoulder, her trainer stopped when she felt her Eevee shift and look at something. She looked the same direction as the Normal-type Pokemon and saw a nest atop a tree.

In that nest were small bird Pokemon of various species. There was a Pidgey, a Starly, and a Fletchling. Another Pokemon, one unfamiliar to her with black feathers and a long, sharp beak, flew to the nest, a stem of berries in its mouth.

Seeing this unusual sight before her, especially the sight of a Pokemon she had never seen before, Ali took out her Nikon D3500.

"You had that out earlier too," came Corrin's voice

Ali turned and saw Corrin and the others looking at her, the latter standing next to her and staring at the camera in her hand.

"What is that?" the princess in Nohrian armor asked. "You took it out during the party last night."

"This?" Ali asked back, not believing the princess had never seen a camera before. That is... until realizing one thing. "Oh, right. I'm guessing you guys don't have cameras here."

"Camera?" The conversation was getting the attention of the other Nohrians, all who walked to take a good look at the device. Mozu was already introduced to Ali's camera while the girl was staying over in her village.

"What does it do?" Azura asked.

"It takes pictures. You just aim, zoom, give it a moment to adjust the sharpness, and take a shot."

Upon hearing the last three words and seeing that she was aiming her camera at the bird Pokemon, Corrin did the first thing that came to mind. "No don't!" She tackled Ali down, causing her to lose her grip on her camera and toss it up in the air. Thankfully for the photographer, Fira reacted fast enough to leap off her trainer's shoulder and managed to catch the camera before it hit the ground.

"Oof! What was that for?!" she asked.

"You said you were going to shoot those Pokemon!" the princess reasoned.

Seeing this misunderstanding, Adrian and Riana couldn't help but let out a small laugh, to the other's confusion, minus Mozu, who looked away with a pink face.

"Not that kind of 'take a shot'," the Alolan champion corrected, walking towards them. As she helped them back up, she turned to Ali and asked, "Did you take pictures of the party?"

"I wouldn't have my camera out otherwise," Ali answered. Retrieving her camera from Fira with a 'thank you', she changed it from taking pictures, to viewing them. Once she did that, she held the object out for the Nohrians to see the pictures she took. They were all shocked to see a photo of people dancing from the device.

"Whoa! Isn't that... from the party yesterday?!" Corrin asked.

"Just what sort of sorcery...?" Jakob questioned.

"This is what I mean by 'taking a shot'. I look through this... small hole here, which helps me see from the... 'eye' here, and I press this button to... save whatever moment is seen through this eye," Ali explained, having to take some moments to say things in simpler terms for the princesses, butler and knight. "Then, I hit this button here to view the photos I took."

Corrin was amazed with the equipment, as Ali showed the previous other pictures she took with her camera. Azura and Gunter were also amazed, though not as much as the former sheltered girl. Jakob didn't want to show it, but he was also in awe with what the device from the Pokemon world can do.

"I didn't know you were a photographer," Riana said to Ali.

"Well, it's not like we had the time to get to know each other. I mean, all we did last night was catch each other up with what happened during our time here in this world," she pointed out, returning to take a picture of the group of bird Pokemon at their nest.

"True that."

"Sorry for misunderstanding," Corrin apologized.

"It's fine. I forgot you guys don't have cameras here, and the only shots you guys have here is the kind used in battle," Ali said. With one click, she got the picture she wanted. "There we go." She showed the group the picture she took. Looking to the photo to the real life version of the pic and back, the group saw that nothing happened to the nest of Pokemon; just that the moment Ali wanted to take was saved in her camera, as she had said.

"Your world has quite the technology," Gunter stated. "And if I'm not mistaken, you don't have magic in that world?"

"Not the ones used for battle, no," Riana answered. "Everything in our world is advanced technology."

"I see..."

"If we can get a move on here," Adrian called. "Last I remember, we're on a clock here. As in not much time for sight seeing." He looked over to the flushing Mozu. "And you. Why are you blushing like that?"

"Just that I kind of reacted the same way when Ali took her camera out to take a picture of Charizard helping out around the village..." the farmer answered, feeling a bit embarrassed at that day. Like Corrin, she thought it was some kind of weapon that Ali was going to use to kill Charizard or anyone in the village really and jumped on her. After learning that it wasn't a weapon, that it was just a device that takes pictures faster than a person making art, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed at the misunderstanding.

"Huh? I thought you're blushing because of a certain shot I took here," Ali said to Mozu.

The young girl didn't need to ask to know which photo she was referring to and blushed darker. "Hey! Ya said ya erased that!"

"I didn't say I only took one of it~"

"Ali!" Mozu rushed to the girl to try and get the camera, when Ali placed a hand on her head and keep her at arm's distance away from her hobby.

"I'm curious with what picture you took to get that reaction," Riana said, eyeing the camera.

"I'll show you it when we have the time," the owner offered.

"Please don't!" the victim pleaded.

"Alright, that is enough!" Jakob exclaimed. "We don't have that much time to waste! Let's hurry on to Fort Jinya."

"Says the guy who joined the half of the group that wanted to know what a camera was," Adrian said.

"I was not curious about that object!"

' _That strong denial said otherwise,_ ' Riana thought.

"Though Adrian and Jakob are right. We must hurry," Azura said.

"True that. Fi-" Ali trailed off when she turned to where her Eevee was.

Everyone else looked and saw the Eevee playing with Rocky and Blue. Apparently the latter two assumed they were taking a short break from the walking they did and decided to play, dragging Fira in their playtime. The sight of three cute Pokemon playing together especially caught the girls' hearts.

"I'll even pay you to do it, but please take some pictures of that..." Corrin requested their photographer, finding the cuteness unbearable to ignore.

"You don't even need to ask," Ali said, already taking a few pics.

Riana and Mozu 'awwed' at each action the trio were doing while Azura, the ever so calm female of the group, simply blushed and looked away, attempting to cover her face at the sight of the cute trio of Pokemon before them. Though Gunter simply smiled at the females' enjoyment towards the scene, Jakob and Adrian simply sighed and shook their head.

After the short show, they finally continued on to their destination.

"By the way, do you guys have a plan? When we get to Fort Jinya I mean," Ali asked, Fira back on her shoulder.

"Besides speaking to my family and somehow convince them to join us? Not really..." Corrin answered, losing confidence in her own plan. Rocky sensed the lack of confidence and nudged against his best friend and owner in comfort, letting out a small whine as he did so. A small smile formed on Corrin's face, as she picked up the Rockruff and hugged him close.

"Listen carefully: Fort Jinya is just ahead," Gunter informed, as he saw the building at a good distance away. "The fort is sure to be well defended by Hoshidan soldiers."

"Let's try to reach out to them," the princess said.

"Naive Little Princess, I hope you remember that we've been branded as traitors? Those guys are most likely ordered to attack us on sight," Adrian reminded.

"Adrian's right. They might not want to hear us out," Riana agreed.

"Also, you must not forget about the curse. You can't tell anyone what you've learned," Azura whispered in Corrin's ear, as there were people amongst them who had yet to know about the truth behind this war.

"I know. Just the same, we have to try and talk to them. No one wants this war to continue forever. Surely some of them will listen," Corrin said.

"Well, you're not wrong. Besides, we also have a pair of trainers who are retainers to a princess who had been living with them for years. They have to be willing to listen," Ali added.

"Especially when one of you two is their teacher in terms of Pokemon," Mozu added on.

"Mudbray," Muddy nodded in agreement.

Corrin nodded, feeling a bit more confident with the situation at hand. "All right, here goes nothing. If I speak from the heart, I'm certain that everyone in Hoshido will understand," she decided.

"I hope for milady's sake that you are right," Jakob said.

"For someone who is Corrin's butler since I'm assuming childhood, you lack some trust for Naive Little Missy, don't you, Sir Uptight Butler?" Adrian said to him.

Taking that as an insult, Jakob turned to him. "What was that?! It's one thing to question my judgement in milady's plan, but what did you call the princess?!"

Already sensing a fight going to form, both Azura and Corrin got in between the pair.

"Jakob, please! Calm down!" the latter princess spoke.

"You as well, Adrian," the former followed.

Jakob looked at his lady in shock. "But Princess Corrin! He called you-"

"It's his way of getting along with people," Riana interrupted, also wishing for a lack of conflict in their group. "Adrian rarely calls anyone by their name. The nickname he gives is just his way of saying that he'll warm up to you. Eventually."

Her fellow retainer under Azura looked at her with a deadpan expression. "Wow. That's one way of saying-" Before he could finish his sentence, Azura elbowed him in the gut.

"Is that so? But I do recall he called you by name once," Jakob pointed out.

"Besides us being retainers under Princess Azura, we're also kind of rivals as Pokemon Trainers," Riana said.

"She has a point," Corrin agreed, recalling to the many battles the two natural trainers had back during her time with her Hoshidan family.

"So, what say we continue on to Fort Jinya?" Mozu asked, catching on to what may as well be bad blood between Adrian and Jakob.

"That is an excellent idea, don't you think so, Gunter? Fira? Muddy?" Ali agreed, also catching on.

The called trio nodded in agreement, also sensing that feeling, especially when Gunter knew that Jakob was only kind to Corrin and the royal family.

* * *

After some more time of walking, they finally arrived at their destination.

"So this is Fort Jinya..." Corrin spoke in awe.

Adrian looked around, feeling something off about the place. "It's quiet here. Almost too quiet. Did the Hoshidan forces abandon this place?" he pointed out.

Before they could wonder the same about the situation, a familiar man stepped out of the fort.

"Ah! Yukimura..." Corrin called, recognizing him.

"You have some nerve showing your face around here, Lady Traitor," the tactician of Hoshido growled.

Corrin was silent at the accusation. Rocky looked up at her with a worried expression and a small whine.

Yukimura turned to Azura and her retainers. "And the same goes for you, Lady Azura. You were raised like any other princess of Hoshido and yet... You seem to have had no trouble turning your back to us when it suited you. I suppose you never truly thought of this kingdom as your home..." Azura looked down in silence at his words, as Blue stared up at her, as worried as Rocky was for Corrin. "And as for you two, trainers, I'd have thought you stayed at our side. Riana especially. You've seen how the Nohrians had treated Pokemon in their captivity, did you not? I thought you were on the side of Pokemon!"

"We are. But fighting against Nohr like this, not willing to hear the words of those who are on your side, isn't the answer!" Riana said.

"She's right Yukimura, you're wrong!" Corrin spoke. "We haven't betrayed Hoshido at all! I'm not the enemy, and neither is Nohr! Please, if you would only listen-"

"Silence! I won't let you try and justify your betrayal," the tactician shouted.

"Please, Yukimura..."

Adrian scoffed at the Hoshidan's actions. "And you claim you guys are better than Nohr? Not hearing us out makes you as bad as them, don't you think?" he voiced.

Those words caused everyone to turn to him wide eyed, and Yukimura's eye twitched in response to his claim.

"Well, we did not expect this to be too easy. It's unfortunate, but we should prepare ourselves for a battle," Gunter advised.

"Yukimura... Just hear me out!" Corrin tried again.

"I do not have time to listen to your poisonous words," Yukimura declined. "You abandoned your friends and your family. I wouldn't be surprised if you'd helped the Nohrians capture Lord Takumi! And on top of everything else, Lord Ryoma has gone missing..."

That piece of information shook Corrin and her group.

"It can't be... My brothers are-" she started.

"Your brothers?! You dare think of yourself as a member of the royal family? Thanks to you, ill has befallen Hoshido's best and bravest."

Hearing those words and seeing the fact that the fool of a tactician was truly not at all willing to give Corrin the chance to speak, Rocky's eyes hardened and he was growling lowly, and one other had their fist clenched as they approached.

"I... I'm sorry. I never meant for-" Corrin tried to apologize.

"I don't want your apologies. I want you to atone for your crimes. Guards! Capture the-!" Before Yukimura could finish his order, Adrian sucker punched him in the face, knocking him down on his back.

This action rendered everyone speechless, especially Azura, Blue and Riana. Sure they had seen Adrian get easily annoyed from time to time, especially with Takumi's attitude around them, but never had they ever seen the male retainer actually hit anyone.

"You know, for someone who's a strategic four eyes, you have quite a small brain," the guy said. "Considering you're Her Majesty's great tactician, one would think you can actually do the smart, logical and reasonable. But all you're doing is the hasty, stupid and immature. Sure Naive Little Missy there didn't side with Hoshido that time, but she didn't side with Nohr either! Yet instead of asking why, instead of figuring out her reason for doing so, you just pushed it all aside and claim her as an enemy! If only Her Majesty can see how low you've become now."

Hearing him speak of Queen Mikoto like so angered Yukimura. "How dare you speak of our late queen!"

Adrian placed a hand on his head and shook his head in exasperation. "Pot calling kettle black... you Small-Brained Four-Eyes."

That was the last straw for the Hoshidan tactician, as he shouted out, "Forget capture! Kill every single one of them this instant!"

That command came as a shock for Corrin's group, as Hoshidan soldiers and some Pokemon started to appear from the fort. As they appeared, Yukimura took the chance to retreat deep in the fort.

"Does this mean we have to fight?" Mozu asked, reaching for her naginata on Muddy's back.

"Looks like it," Ali agreed, taking out a Pokeball.

"Will they really not listen? Our real enemy is elsewhere..." Corrin spoke.

"Sometimes the only way to get people to listen is to beat it into them," Riana told her. "That being said, as much as I hate this as you do, the faster we beat the Hoshidans here, the faster we can get to Yukimura again and tell him of the inevitable danger that is to come. As vague as we possibly could..."

Seeing that it really was the only way to get through to the guy, Corrin nodded and brought out Yato, signaling the others to prepare themselves for a battle.

Fira's ears twitched as she heard something and looked. Jumping off Ali's shoulder, she growled at the sight of Hoshidans and Pokemon outside the building. This action caught the others' attention, as they also noticed the number of soldiers around them, no doubt attempting to surround them and overwhelm the group in numbers.

"Great, they'll have us surrounded at this rate!" Jakob exclaimed.

"Leave the guys outside the fort to me and Mozu!" Ali said.

The group, minus Adrian and Riana, looked at her in shock.

"Just the two of you? Are you sure?" Azura asked.

"You're mistaken. It's not just us; we have our Pokemon!" Ali corrected.

"Eevee!" Fira nodded.

Mozu turned to Muddy. "I'm counting on you," she said.

"Braaay!" he neighed in confirmation.

"I'll assist them as well, Lady Corrin," Gunter assured, getting on his mount and joining the two girls and their Pokemon partners.

Feeling at ease that her guardian, mentor and retainer is staying to help their new friends/recruits, Corrin looked back to the Hoshidans within the building. "Let's go, guys!" At that order, she and the others charged right in.

"You think you guys are enough?" a spear fighter with a Rattata asked. "Look around you! You guys are outnumbered!"

"We may be outnumbered, but we're far from overpowered! Let's go, Sage!" Ali called out her Venusaur once more.

The sight of the big, fully-evolved Pokemon slightly shook the Hoshidans.

"D-Don't think because you have a bigger Pokemon means you're stronger!" the spear fighter with the Electrike exclaimed.

"True. But I have the experience." To Mozu, Ali said, "Set up the field, Mozu!"

The farmer knew what the natural trainer meant. "Muddy, use Rototiller!" The Mudbray instantly obliged to the command and, glowing a yellow aura, stomped his front hooves down. A small shockwave was emitted from the impact and had softened up the ground.

"What is that suppose to do?" another spear fighter with a Bidoof asked.

"Nothing that harms you or your Pokemon. But my Sage, on the other hand... Frenzy Plant!" At Ali's order, her Venusaur glowed a light green aura and stomped the ground. The second he did, giant spiky roots came out of the ground and struck the surrounding Hoshidan soldiers. The sight of such a powerful move frightened those on the ground, as they and their Pokemon tried to flee, only to get caught in the roots.

"Pegasus Knights! In the air!" called one of the knights in question, with a Pidgey by her side.

She and her fellow pegasus knights soared into the air, avoiding the roots that threatened to grab or slam them down and getting out of their reach.

Ali already thought of a countermeasure against this. "Fira, use Quick Attack and set up some Swift!" Her Eevee obliged and, with a light blue aura outlined around her, dashed across the Frenzy Plant roots at incredible speed, running up one root to the next, jumping from one to another, and occasionally going down some roots.

Seeing the speed the Evolution Pokemon was going baffled the knights and their Pokemon. Not only could they barely follow the speedy little fella, but with how Fira constantly hid under some thick roots for cover, it became that much harder to see where she was.

Eventually, Fira shot out of the Frenzy Plant at high speed. Following her our were multiple stars, all that shot at the pegasus knights and their Pokemon. The enemy were unable to react fast enough and got hit by the attack. Pegasi especially lost the strength to keep soaring in the air and fell. And as the Hoshidan's Pokemon were wild and not that adept to battles quite yet, especially against a skilled trainer, they were also instantly knocked out.

Seeing how fast the fight had gone, Gunter couldn't help but look on with a deadpanned expression, a bit dumbfounded with how quickly they dealt with the soldiers outside.

' _Was there a need for Lady Corrin to be worried for them?_ ' he wondered.

Meanwhile, inside the fort, there were far more soldiers to fight against compared to outside. There were oni savages, ninjas, and samurais to deal with, as well as archers and shrine maidens. Not only that, but they also have Pokemon with them, mainly Cubone, Electrike, Machop, Dewpider, and Cleffa.

"Use Bone Club!" an oni savage ordered his Cubone. The Lonely Pokemon obliged and rushed at Rocky with its boney weapon in hand.

The Rockruff was busy battling an Electrike to notice the attack coming. Corrin, defeating a Samurai, looked and saw her Pokemon in danger. "Rocky!"

"Use Aqua Jet!" Suddenly, Blue arrived, cloaked in water, and rammed into the Cubone, sending it flying away from Rocky.

Corrin turned and saw Azura by her side.

"We got your back," the songstress assured.

The Yato-wielder's eyes widened as she gripped onto the Dragonstone Azura gave her and charged at the girl. Before Azura knew it, Corrin transformed into her dragon form and tackled her down, saving her from a ninja's shuriken, and taking the hit herself. Thankfully, her dragon scales are quite tough, enough that she barely felt the blade, as she went and took down the ambushing ninja.

"And I got yours," Corrin said, returning to her original form.

"And who's got both of yours, traitors?!" the oni savage asked, going to attack them both from behind.

Next thing he knew, he was suddenly tackled down hard by something. No, not tackled; something ran into him, rammed him into a wall and knocking him out.

That something uncurled itself from its ballish form, revealing its centipede-like form. Its body was dark magenta with a smooth, dark grey underside and purple, teardrop-shaped rings on each body segment on each side of its body. It also had a pair of long, slightly bent horns, similar to antennas on its head, and another pair on its rear.

"We do," came Adrian's voice, as he caught up with the girls. "Nicely done, Toxin."

"Scoli!" the centipede-like Pokemon nodded.

"Adrian! Where are Riana and Jakob?!" Corrin asked.

"They took the other route. Said they'll meet us deep in the fort," he answered.

Accepting his words, the pair of princesses continued onwards, taking on more Hoshidans and Pokemon along the way.

* * *

Meanwhile, with Riana and Jakob, the Alolan Champion had her Mimikyu and Eelektross out, and the group of four faced off against a good handful of Hoshidans and their Pokemon on their side.

"Mimikyu, use Slash!" Riana called out. With a white energy claw poking out from under its rag, the Disguise Pokemon dashed on forward to the Pokemon and knocked them all out. "Eelektross, Thunderbolt!" The EleFish Pokemon unleashed his electrical attack at the archers and shrine priestesses, shocking them all unconscious and charred.

"Was there a need for me to come along?" Jakob asked.

"You were the one who followed me," Riana pointed out, going to the treasure chest that was at the dead end. She tried to pry it open, only to find it locked. "Of course it'd be locked..."

"Lektross," her Eelektross called and flew over to her.

"Hm? What's wrong?" she asked.

"Eelek tross." He held out one of his hand and revealed a key.

Riana's eyes widened, realizing that it may be a key to the chest. She took the small item and placed it in the keyhole. With a click, the chest opened up, revealing a lance inside. "Thank you, Eelektross."

"Lektross."

"Great. Now can we return to Lady Corrin and the others as you had promised?" Jakob demanded.

"Sure. And if it makes you happy, we'll take the short way." Before Jakob could question what she meant by that, Eelektross wrapped an arm around Riana and suddenly flew to the butler, grabbing him as well. "Mimikyu!" Riana reached out an arm for the Ghost/Fairy-type Pokemon, who leapt and clung onto it.

Once all the passengers were accounted for, Eelektross flew up high and over a wall. From their position, Jakob and Riana could see Corrin, Azura, Adrian, and their Pokemon had cleared out the remaining Hoshidan soldiers, leaving Yukimura, who was riding on top of what seemed like a mechanical not-Pyroar, with two other Hoshidans. Both who are familiar to the girl.

"Saizo? And Orochi too?" she gasped.

"You know them I assume?!" Jakob questioned, a bit frightened at the height they were at.

"Even without a Pokemon on them, those two are pretty strong. Even with Adrian there... We should go help them! Eelektross!"

With a grunt in agreement, Eelektross soared over to where their friends were.

* * *

With Corrin's group, after dealing with the last of the Hoshidan soldiers, they found themselves facing off against Yukimura, Saizo, and Orochi. Good news, the trio didn't have a Pokemon like their men had. Bad news, that didn't mean they weren't strong without a Pokemon. As there were three on each side, six if you include the Pokemon on Corrin's team, they decided to fight them in a two-on-one.

"As you know, I am Orochi, retainer to Lady Mikoto, the late Queen of Hoshido," Orochi introduced herself to Adrian and Toxin, her opponents. "I can never forgive what you have done. I will avenge Lady Mikoto! Submit to my magic!"

"And I am Adrian. Now tell me, if Lady Mikoto was here, can you really tell me that she'd be proud to see her own retainer attack her daughter and her friends?" Adrian questioned.

Like with Yukimura, the mention of Queen Mikoto set off Orochi's anger, as it had sounded like he had insulted the late queen. "How dare you! You will pay!" She took out a scroll and released it, causing it to segment into panels that formed a ring in front of her. The inside of the ring seemed to be glowing, as an icy, blue rat shot out of it and struck Toxin. And by the looks of it, it was quite a powerful hit.

"So that's magic from this world," Adrian more stated than questioned.

"What's wrong? It seems a weak spell like that is a bit too much for your Pokemon," Orochi said.

"That's what you think. Get in there with Steamroller!" Toxin spun his body rapidly, the tips of his horns all glowing, and charged in at Orochi.

The Diviner thought fast and avoided the attack, summoning another rat at the Scolipede.

"Use Toxic!" In response, on Adrian's command, Toxin spat out some poison from his mouth, blocking the icy rat spirit and causing it to dissolve.

"He spits out poison?!" the diviner asked, never having seen Toxin use such a move before.

"Again!" Adrian called, having his Scolipede spit out another dose of Toxic, this time at Orochi. The Hoshidan couldn't react in time and got hit by the attack. Good news, she didn't get dissolved by the liquid substance like her rat spirit. Bad news, as the name of the move stated, she got badly poisoned and was weakened, as she fell to her knees and started to breathe heavily. "And for good measure, Venoshock!" Toxin spat out another poisonous dose at Orochi, one different from Toxic. The substance hit, as Orochi was sent tumbling back, weaker than before.

"Gah!" she yelped. "My... my skills need more refining... if you are able to defeat me... I'm sorry, Yukimura, but I can no longer..."

"Orochi!" Yukimura cried out, not believing one of the queen's retainers was easily defeated like so.

Saizo's eyes narrowed at his comrade's defeat, as he turned and faced Azura.

"I am Saizo, retainer to Lord Ryoma. I am certain that you are to blame for my lord's disappearance. I will not, CANNOT, forgive your betrayal. You don't honestly think you can stand against me, do you?" he challenged.

As much as Azura wanted to correct him, she knew that it was meaningless to speak to them at the moment and prepared herself. She was aware of how strong Saizo was, after all.

The ninja started off with throwing some ninja stars at her. Blue, who was by Azura's side, unleashed some Water Gun attacks to deflect them all away from his friend. The songstress dashed on forward, her lance in hand, while Saizo took out more shurikens from his person and charged right back at her. The ninja threw the stars forward, in which Blue responded by using Aqua Jet to knock them all away once more. Saizo grimaced at this, as Azura got close enough to strike him with her lance. The blunt side of it that is. Her Popplio came back around with his Aqua Jet and hit Saizo right in the gut. Saizo withstood the blow and knocked the Popplio away. Poor Blue hit a wall and lied weakened from the blow.

"Blue!" Azura cried out. Her eyes hardened as she clenched her grip on her lance and charged at Saizo, swinging her weapon at him.

Saizo blocked her strikes easily and disarmed her. He then elbowed her and knocked her down to the ground. He was about to jab his ninja star into her as well, when a dagger struck his hand, causing him to drop his weapon. He looked up and saw more daggers coming, and leapt away from his spot.

"If you think I will allow you to harm Lady Corrin's friends, think again!" Jakob exclaimed, daggers in hand.

"Jakob!" Azura gasped.

"Are you all right, Lady Azura?" Seeing the princess nod, the butler looked back at their opponent. "I shall assist you!"

"You think one more makes a difference? Think again!" Saizo exclaimed, taking out more ninja stars.

Azura looked on with a worried expression. She knew how strong Saizo was; he was Ryoma's retainer for a reason. She looked over to Blue's direction, the latter who was getting up and shaking off whatever numbness he had. It was then an idea came to her.

"In the name of Lord Ryoma, die!" Saizo shouted, charging in at them.

"Blue, blow a bunch of bubbles!" Azura called out.

Obliging to the command, Blue took a deep breath and blew out a lot of bubbles from his nose, right at Saizo. Though they were just normal bubbles, if there was one thing they succeeded to do, it was to block the ninja and clouding his vision of his opponents.

"What the-?!" he gasped out in shock, not at all expecting this sort of defense mechanism.

"Go in, Jakob!" came Azura's voice.

Corrin's butler suddenly came out from the wall of bubbles and struck Saizo on the shoulder. The combined speed and force caused the ninja to tumble down on the ground, with Jakob on top of him.

"And stay down," he said.

"Grah! I can't die here..." he groaned. "Lord Ryoma... My apologies..."

Yukimura clenched his teeth at the sight. Not only Orochi, but Saizo had fallen as well. Now it was up to him... against Corrin and Rockruff.

"Lady Mikoto... I hope you understand what I must do, wherever you are... I will deal with those who would harm Hoshido..." he vowed.

"I'm telling you, we're not here to harm Hoshido!" Corrin shouted, overhearing the tactician.

"Be silent, you traitor!" At that shout, he took out a dagger he had on him and toss it at the princess.

Corrin raised Yato to block, when Rocky leapt in front of the dagger and caught it in his mouth, flames alit in Fire Fang.

The princess was surprised when her Pokemon even jumped in front of the weapon. "Rocky?" She was even more surprised when, as Rocky spat out the weapon, he started growling- no, snarling at Yukimura.

"Foul beast!" Yukimura shouted, taking out another dagger from his person.

The moment he took the weapon out, Rocky charged on forward at full speed. Yukimura tossed the dagger at the Rockruff, in which the latter avoided and leapt at him with his mouth in flames. Yukimura had his mechanical stallion move from their place and dodge the Fire Fang, but Rocky wasn't done, as he use a point blank Rock Throw at Yukimura's machine. The stone broke through into the thing and caused it to explode, blowing Yukimura away. Just as the Hoshidan tactician was about to get up from his spot on the ground, Rocky jumped on him, forcing him back down and snarling at him. A puppy he may be in many ways, the way he was growling at Yukimura was not an action that any normal puppy would do, especially not a friendly one like Rocky.

' _Can this really be true?!_ ' Yukimura thought. ' _So...be it... I admit defeat..._ ' He closed his eyes, prepared for whatever final blow will come from the pup, when Rocky was suddenly picked up from his spot.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's gotten into you all of a sudden?!" Riana questioned, as the Puppy Pokemon struggled in her arms. "Hey! Calm down!"

"Rocky, stop!" Corrin took the little pup into her arms, hoping that being in her embrace would calm the Rockruff. Unfortunately, no change was shown, as Rocky instead went and bit the princess's arm. Though she flinched and winced at the bite, Corrin didn't let go.

Upon realizing who it was that was holding him, Rocky slowly calmed down and looked up at Corrin, a worried expression placed on his face.

"Are you okay, Rocky?" Corrin asked him.

"Roo..." he whined in response, not for him, but for his best friend and trainer. Looking down at the bite mark he left on her, Rocky licked it, hoping that the mark, the pain, and the small amount of blood that was coming out would all go away. He let out a small whine, upon seeing that it remained, and blood was still slowly leaking out.

"I'm fine, Rocky. Don't worry," the princess assured, knowing that her Pokemon was feeling quite guilty for biting her like he did.

"I don't understand..." Yukimura spoke. "We're defeated... Why don't you kill us? Why not let that canine finish the job?"

"Because we don't need to continue this senseless violence. I know how to end it! However, I need your help in order to do it."

"Ugh... Helping you means turning against Hoshido. And you say I must do this to help Hoshido? I don't believe you. How can I trust someone who has turned against everything I love?"

"Y-yeah! We'll only trust you... if you can bring back... all the lives you've taken! Return Lady Mikoto... and maybe we'll listen...!" Orochi said.

Just as Corrin was about to speak... just as any of them were about to speak about the one thing Orochi had said, Saizou spoke, "There is no other way... I must sacrifice my life to rid our land of these Nohrian fiends..." Next thing they knew, his body was covered in flames. "I'll show you what true dedication and loyalty mean! Gaaaaaaah!"

"Get back! That idiot intends to sacrifice himself in killing us all!" Adrian warned.

"Saizo, stop! Knock it off!" Riana cried out.

"I believe in Hoshido... Even if I must give my life, I will stop you! Raaaaww!"

"No, Brother! You're wrong!" came a voice.

Suddenly, from above, Hydreigon flew in and hovered between the two sides, Kaze on his back. Following his appearance was Tauros, charging into the battle with Sakura on his back.

"Stop, please! Saizo, d-don't hurt my sister!" the young princess pleaded.

"Kaze! Sakura!" Corrin gasped in surprise.

"Why are you interfering? These people deserve their fate. They've turned against Hoshido!" Saizo demanded.

"Brother, you mustn't be so rash! Lady Corrin is trustworthy! When I was a prisoner in Nohr, it was Corrin who let me escape! She saved me, an enemy, without worrying about what would happen for doing so," Kaze told him.

"Corrin is... a very kind person," Sakura said. "Look! Even d-during this battle, she didn't kill a single defender! Why would she do that if she had truly betrayed Hoshido?! There must be a reason! Please, just listen to her!"

Saizo grimaced at the point the young princess was making and ceased the flames.

Kaze sighed in relief at this action. "Thank you, Brother..."

The red-head ninja scoffed at the thanks. "This doesn't mean I trust her, but I listen to what she has to say."

"Our real enemy is not in Nohr or hidden in Hoshido. It lies somewhere else... The explosion in Hoshido, the death of my mother... These events weren't set in motion by King Garon. Somewhere else, a powerful and ambitious force is manipulating us all," Corrin told them.

"So that's it? An enemy we haven't heard of is the reason for this conflict? Sounds like the work of an active imagination. Nothing more. Educate us then... Who is this mystery enemy?"

"Um... Well..."

"Call them Invaders," Adrian spoke. His words caused everyone to look at him with questioning looks, with Corrin and her group adding in shocked expressions. The male trainer simply raised a brow at the action. "What? If you think about it, they practically are invaders. Plus, it's fine as long as we're vague about it, isn't it?"

"Well... I suppose you're not wrong..." Azura said, recalling back when her mother was alive, she sometimes spoke of Valla, though was extremely vague about it, and the curse never hit back then.

"Do you think us fools? Tell the whole truth, and don't leave out any details!" Saizo demanded, not at all believing the few words that were being spoken.

"No, I don't think that at all!" Corrin exclaimed. "I just... I'm sorry, but I can't say more. None of us can."

Yukimura simply sighed at the answer. "Well then... It seems this was a waste of our time. I've heard enough. Away with you."

The tactician's attitude was getting on Adrian's nerves. The male trainer was about to say something, when Azura placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head, telling him that it was pointless to speak to them as things were now. Corrin herself knew this, as she started to walk away. Before she could get far, though, Sakura got off Tauros and stood before her.

"Wait, Sister! Please!" she spoke up.

"Sakura? Corrin asked.

"Um... Please... t-take me with you! I'm not very good at fighting, but I'm sure I can find a way to help!"

Everyone was shocked to hear this request from the girl.

"Lady Sakura, why are you-?!" Yukimura tried to question.

"I'm sorry, Yukimura, but I believe that Corrin is telling the truth," the young healer said. "We haven't spent much time together, but I can tell... I can tell by the look in her eyes... She isn't trying to trick us." Hearing those words brought smiles on Corrin, Azura, and Riana's faces.

"Lady Sakura... I didn't expect this. I don't know what to say right now... I've been by your side since you were born. I can tell that your mind is made up. I won't try to stop you. Just... promise me that you'll be careful," Yukimura said.

"Th-thank you, Yukimura," Sakura thanked in relief.

Turns out, she wasn't the only one who wants to join. "Brother, I would ask for your understanding. I would like to accompany Lady Corrin on her mission," Kaze asked Saizo.

"If you are set on that course, you may do as you wish," he huffed.

"I am."

Knowing that, not one, but two people believed in her... Corrin couldn't help but pull them in a hug. "Thank you, Sakura, Kaze. Thank you for believing in me."

The pair of new recruits were shocked to suddenly be pulled in her embrace. Come a few seconds, and they returned the hug.

Riana approached Tauros and Hydreigon. "So... Would this mean you guys are coming along as well? Or did they need a ride to get here?" she asked.

Tauros bellowed in agreement while Hydreigon let out a low growl and nodded. Their answers brought a bigger smile on Riana's face.

"Looks like we have four friends joining us," she said.

"Five. Ninjask is fully recovered," Kaze corrected, taking out his Pokemon's Pokeball.

"Even better!"

The amount of good news brought more relief for Corrin. "Let's regroup with the others and head to our next destination..."

* * *

After meeting up with Ali, Mozu, and Gunter, as well as having Sage release the Hoshidans in his Frenzy Plant and returning the Pokemon back in their Pokeballs, Corrin and the others walked away from the fort, having little to no further plans as to what they would do next. As they walked, Corrin noticed they were walking past a familiar lake.

"This lake..." she spoke, grabbing the others' attention.

"Is something the matter?" Sakura asked.

"This lake is where I first met Azura. So much happened in the short time since then..."

Azura looked at the lake, a feeling of nostalgia washing over her. "Yes, that's true." She walked over to the waters, with Blue following and happily jumping in. "... This is also the lake where I met Blue. All that time ago, and it feels like it was just yesterday."

Sakura looked at her two sisters. "Sisters..." she called.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. There's so much we want to tell you, but we can't. Not here..." Corrin apologized.

"It's all right, Corrin. I b-believe in you," the young princess assured. "I can tell that you're carrying a very heavy burden. If I can even do the smallest things to h-help you, then I..." Sakura approached her sisters. "Uh...thank you for letting me join you. I, uh, missed you. I hope I can help."

Both Corrin and Azura looked at their younger sister with a smile on their faces. Not just them; Riana and the others were happy to see that there was someone, one of Corrin and Azura's siblings no less, who actually believed in them. And they couldn't forget about Kaze, of course, especially Riana and Adrian. For as long as the two knew the green-haired ninja, he was a really great guy. The two trainers were glad to hear that he wanted to join their cause, even if Adrian doesn't show it on his face.

Fira's ear twitched, as she turned to one direction, hearing something approaching the group. "Eevee!" she alerted.

"Hm? What's wrong, Fira?" Ali asked.

The rest of the group turned to them in confusion, until they were starting to hear the same sound the Eevee was hearing.

"Do you hear something?" Corrin asked.

"It sounds like something is coming this way," Riana said.

Jakob looked at the direction Fira was looking at. He squinted his eyes as he saw something from a distance. "Wait, what the... Is that a pegasus? It's heading straight at us!" he warned.

"What?! Ahhh!" Sakura yelped in surprise as the pegasus stopped right in front of her... carrying two passengers on its back.

"Whew... We finally caught up with you, milady!" said the male passenger, who is also the rider of the flying mount.

"Waaah! S-Subaki?" Sakura gasped.

"Oh, Lady Sakura... Did you even realize that you'd left us behind? How could you!" questioned the female passenger on the pegasus, as she got off the flying horse.

"Hana! Why are the two of you-?"

"We received word from Yukimura. He told us that you left with Lady Corrin."

"Ahhh. Yukimura knew that I would need you two..."

"Heehee... Even if Yukimura hadn't told us...we would have searched day and night to figure out where you were and caught up!"

"Indeed. It is our duty to protect you, milady, and nothing will stop us. If you are headed somewhere, then it's only natural that we would go too. We will always support you."

"Haven't seen these guys in days and already I had forgotten that they're a lot like Sir Uptight Butler here," Adrian muttered. Jakob overheard a bit of what he had said and turned to him with a glare.

"Thank you very much!" Sakura happily thanked Subaki and Hana.

"Um... Sakura, who are these people?" Corrin asked, as she and a few others weren't as familiar with them as everyone else.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Corrin. These are my retainers, Subaki and Hana," Sakura introduced. "They're both very strong and kind; they've p-protected me for years. They'll fight on our side. It'll be helpful to have such reliable friends."

"Well, we do need all the help we can get," Gunter pointed out.

"Thank you, both of you," Corrin thanked the newcomers.

"Of course. We'll carry out any mission flawlessly," Subaki exclaimed.

"To be honest, Lady Sakura will be my top priority, but I'll do my best to help!" Hana said.

"I don't know about you, but that fighting back there kind of tired me out. That and we do have some new Pokemon joining us," Adrian spoke. "What do you say, Naive Little Missy? Is now a good time to go to that other place? That Something Plains?"

"You mean Astral Plane?" Corrin corrected. "Hmm... I guess you're right. Besides, there are the other Pokemon we should check up on over there too. Lilith!"

With that one call, a familiar portal opened up. Well, familiar to those that used it before, strange to the newcomers.

"Whoa! Is that a portal?!" Ali asked.

"And one to our safe haven," Adrian answered, as they each walked on through.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Nohr, a certain someone sat at his throne, taking in the news he had heard.

"Mwahaha, so... Corrin still lives..." Garon spoke. "And she knows. She knows a truth she should not. However, there is no need to worry. I've already set a plan in motion. She will be easily crushed. It's impossible for anyone to stop me now. This world is already mine... It just doesn't know it yet!"

While he was thinking of his 'soon-to-be victory', unknown to him, his youngest daughter, Elise, was listening in.

"Father...who could you be talking to? And why are you saying that Corrin is going to be crushed?" she wondered out loud. "I don't like this at all... I need to find Xander."

"No, Elise. You shouldn't get involved," came Camilla's voice, as she walked up to her little sister.

"Camilla?" Elise asked.

"There's something not right about Father. I sense something... not of this world..." the older sister stated.

"But... If Corrin is in danger, shouldn't we help-"

"No, we mustn't act hastily. One wrong step and we could cause her more trouble. As painful as it may be to do, we need to hold back and watch for now."

"All right, Camilla. If you think that's best..."

Despite what she thought, Elise felt that just waiting around wasn't the answer.

"Hm? Who's out there?!" came Garon's voice.

Both girls flinched, knowing he was referring to them. Before Elise could speak, Camilla spoke for her. "It's just me, Father." The little sister looked up at her older sister in shock.

"Camilla? What a perfect timing. Please, come in."

Before Camilla opened the door, Elise grabbed her and asked in a whisper, "What are you doing?!"

"I'd rather Father punish me alone than the both of us," she explained. "Although, from the tone of his voice, I don't think he's going to do just that."

As worried as Elise was for Camilla, she knew that was true. After all, Garon sounded a bit happy to call her in for a punishment.

Releasing the girl's grip on her, Camilla opened the door and walked in. Elise stayed hidden by the entrance, listening in to whatever conversation the two would be having.

"You called for me, Father?" the older sister asked.

"Yes, Camilla. I have a job for you," Garon spoke.

Camilla grimaced slightly, hoping that it wasn't what she thought. "Does it... have to do with Corrin by chance?" she asked.

"Not at all; I already assigned someone to handle her."

Hearing that response not only worried Camilla and Elise for their missing sibling, but also confused them. "Then... what is the job you wish for me to do?"

"A couple of trainers from the Pokemon world had arrived earlier today. Right now, they are lost and scared out there. I tried having some soldiers find them and bring them here for their safety, but it seems they're just too frightened to listen to reason. Your job is to find them and bring them here," Garon explained.

"A pair of new trainers? If you don't mind me asking, why me?" Camilla asked.

"If you must know, it's because you have a Pokemon on you. And I've heard of how you often treat Corrin back when she was a child. If these trainers meet you, surely they'll be at ease and see that we are their allies."

"I see... Leave it to me, Father."

"Good. And for good measure, I'll send you some soldiers, preferably those that know their faces, to help you find them."

"Yes, Father." With that and a bow, Camilla left the room.

As soon as the doors closed, the woman let out a breath she didn't know she held in.

"You're going to find the trainers?" Elise asked.

"That is what Father assigned me to do," she answered.

"Can I come with? Maybe they'll calm down even more if they see me with you!"

A small smile formed on Camilla's face. "Only if you promise to stay close to me. I don't want you to get hurt if they bring out their Pokemon," she said.

"Right!"


	16. Downtime and Search

**This chapter will be just one of relaxation. No fights and no progress with the game storyline. Just a bit of downtime for Corrin and her army. Oh, and there will be a lot of back-and-forths in this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Fire Emblem of any kind for either of them. I do own my OC. Adrian is owned by Antex- The Legendary Zoroark. Ali(cia), Mark and Nate are owned by kitsunelover300. And a new character will be joining us!**

* * *

"Normal people talking"

' _Thoughts_ '

" _ **Z-MOVE!**_ "

" _ **Dragon-type Pokemon talking**_ " Only from Corrin's perspective

" _Pokemon talking_ "

* * *

"WHOOOOA!" Ali gasped out, as she and the other newcomers of the Astral Plane found themselves in an unfamiliar area.

"Welcome, guys, to the Astral Planes," Riana greeted.

"Wow! This place is amazing! You even have a berry field and a Pokemon Day Care!" Ali exclaimed.

Mozu checked the soil of both the berry field and the cabbage field. "The soil is really good here. Perfect for the crops and Muddy," she inspected.

"'Muddy'? That is the name of your Pokemon, correct?" Kaze asked.

"Yes, that's right."

"If you don't mind me asking, why say that this soil is good for your Pokemon?" Sakura asked in curiosity.

"Well-"

"Whoa! Is your Pokemon really eating mud?!" Hana asked. The newcomers all turned at her voice and saw, to their surprise, the Mudbray actually eating the soil of the cabbage field. And by the look on his face, he likes it.

"That's why. Apparently, Muddy's particular species eat dirt. In fact, playing with mud is a part of their daily routine. And since they can carry things about fifty times their body weight without feeling any sort of stress, having them work on a field is perfect," Mozu explained.

"Braaay!" Muddy neighed in agreement.

"My. A perfect Pokemon for a farmer, indeed," Subaki stated.

"The one of the very few times I will agree with Subaki here," Hana said.

Just then, a big shadow flew over their heads. The group looked up and saw a Fearow flying down to them, glaring at the new guests.

"Wow. You weren't kidding when you said there are also Pokemon in here," Ali said in awe, whereas the others flinched at the sight of the Beak Pokemon.

Riana approached it. "Hey, hey. It's okay. These guys are friends," she said, holding up a hand to its face.

Leaning in to her touch, the Fearow glanced at the new people and noticed the Hydreigon, Tauros, Mudbray, and Eevee with them, all extremely calm around these people. The sight of these calm Pokemon set it at ease.

"Ruff! Rockruff!" barked Rocky, dragging Ali and the other's attention to him and Blue. Both Pokemon were by a bush and a pond respectively, pushing out a pair of small Pokemon that were hiding in each area.

"Wow! A Poochyena and a Shellos! And the Shellos is of the East Sea variant!"

"There are different kinds of one Pokemon?" Subaki asked, noting the last part.

"Not 'different kind', 'different form'. To say 'kind' is referring to different species of Pokemon. There are Pokemon of a certain species that are born in different forms or evolve to a certain form depending on the requirement that is met, like Shellos and Riana and Adrian's Lycanroc, and Pokemon who can change their form at will or if a requirement is met, like a Castform and a Darmanitan! Although the difference in forms usually don't affect a Pokemon's stats for the most part, there are some Pokemon who have their stats changed depending on the form they take, such as an Aegislash with its Shield Form and Sword Form and a Cherrim with its Flower Gift Ability!"

"Okay!" Riana stopped her, placing a finger on the enthusiast's lips to prevent her from saying any more. "Let's tone down that enthusiasm for a bit. You're kind of scaring some of us here."

True to the Alolan Champion's words, a few of their members, namely Sakura, Hana, and Mozu, were a bit frightened or freaked out by how passionate Ali was towards Pokemon. If one can call it being passionate that is. Even Adrian and Jakob looked at her wide-eyed.

Ali placed her hands on her mouth in slight embarrassment. "Oops. Sorry," she said.

"I-It's fine. Just shows how passionate you are," Corrin said.

Sakura slowly approached the pair of frightened Pokemon. "Hey. It's okay. We're not gonna hurt you," she said softly, as she knelt down and held out a hand at the pair.

The Poochyena growled at her, the hair on its tail bristling out, while the East Sea Shellos was so frightened, it started gushing out purple liquid form its body. Both actions caused Sakura to recoil.

Riana placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's fine. They're just scared because of what happened to them in Nohr," she explained. "Just give them time to see that you mean no harm."

"Those poor Pokemon..." Ali mumbled out, feeling bad for the frightened creatures. She turned to the Fearow and asked, "I'm guessing the same goes for this Fearow here?"

"That's right. Although, from the looks of it, whatever the Nohrians did to the Pokemon there, it affected the smaller Pokemon more than the bigger ones. At least, that's the currently conclusion we've come to at the moment," Adrian said.

"He's right," Corrin agreed, recalling what Hydreigon had said the other day.

"We have the daycare. We can use it as a rehabilitation center as well for the Pokemon we save," Riana suggested.

"I can help out, too," Ali offered. "My family runs a daycare and I often help out before I started my journey."

"That sounds like a good idea," Corrin said. A thought came to her mind, as she turned to Sakura and her retainers. "By the way... There's something you guys may want to see. Kaze too."

The four Hoshidans looked at her in confusion. "Okay?" Sakura answered in an unsure tone.

"Do you want the rest of us to come along?" Azura asked, knowing what the girl was going to do.

"No. But if you want to join, you can," Corrin answered.

"I'll join then," Adrian volunteered. "Someone has to help ya explain some things."

"I need to check on the berry field and the Poke Beanstalk," Riana said.

"I'll check the daycare," Ali said. "I need to see if it's on par in Pokemon care."

"It's almost time for lunch. I'll make something," Mozu offered.

"I shall assist you on that," Jakob followed.

"In the mean time, the Pokemon can rest up until we leave," Azura said.

"In that case, my Ninjask as well," Kaze said, taking out his Pokeball and releasing his Pokemon. "Take as much time of rest as you want, Ninjask! We're staying here for a while!"

"Ninjask!" The Ninja Pokemon nodded and sped off somewhere.

The smile the Hoshidan Ninja himself had didn't leave his face. "Is what I want to say, but knowing him, he's definitely going off to train," he said.

"I've been wondering for quite a while now but... How did you get one of those?" Corrin asked, pointing at the Pokeball in Kaze's hand.

"You mean the Pokeball? I actually found this in the woods of Hoshido while training one time. I remembered Riana having one for her Pokemon and picked it up, thinking there was a Pokemon inside. Turns out, it was just an empty ball."

"Really? Then how did you meet Ninjask?"

"Why don't we have this conversation as we walk?" Azura suggested before Kaze could answer. "Don't forget, there's something we have to show them."

"Oh yeah! That's right!" Corrin exclaimed, forgetting about the one thing the Hoshidan recruits must see. "Right this way, guys." She and Adrian led the recruits to Lilith's Shrine.

* * *

Once they arrived at their designated spot, Lilith was by the entrance.

"Welcome back, Corrin!" she greeted.

"Hello, Lilith," the princess greeted back.

"Hey, Fish Dragon," Adrian also greeted.

Lilith pouted at the nickname he had for her. "How many times do I have to say 'my name is Lilith'?!"

"I'm calling it like I see it. And you're an apparent dragon who looks more like a sort of fish."

This made Lilith fume even more, her face slowly turning red.

Before things took a terrible turn, Corrin intervened. "So, Lilith! This is Sakura, my little sister of Hoshido, her retainers, Subaki and Hana, and Kaze, a friend of ours! Guys, this is Lilith, an old friend!"

"H-Hello, Lilith," Sakura greeted.

Instantly calming down upon meeting the newcomers, Lilith said, "Hello, Princess Sakura. Everyone. It's really nice to meet some more of Lady Corrin's family." The Astral Dragon turned to Corrin. "I suppose this means you guys are going inside?" Corrin nodded in response. "Very well. Please come in."

The group entered the shrine. And what they saw inside surprised the majority of them.

"Mother!" Sakura cried out, pushing Adrian aside as she ran to the resting queen. And for someone who was just a healer, she had quite the strength, for she had pushed Adrian down to the floor hard.

Lilith held back a laugh when she saw. The instant Adrian glared at her, she simply looked away and whistled a tune.

"Queen Mikoto!" Subaki and Hana followed after their princess to the queen's side.

"Lady Corrin. Why is Queen Mikoto's corpse...?" Kaze began.

"Mother isn't dead," she answered. "If you don't believe me, touch her."

Sakura looked to her sister then back to her mother. She slowly reached out and touch the woman's face. She gasped and flinched back once she made contact. "She-... She's warm..." she stuttered. "Mother's still alive!" Her retainers and Kaze looked at the young princess in shock.

"But how is that possible?! I thought the Nohrians-"

"It wasn't them," Adrian interrupted Hana, getting back on his feet. "As for how the queen survived, you can thank one of my Pokemon. He knows a move that prevents attacks of any kind of hitting their target. Well, most of them that is. Thankfully those shards are one of the many that cannot break through his barrier. Unfortunately, though, he was just a second too late, as one of the shards passed by before the barrier was formed. On the bright side, that one shard wasn't enough to kill your mother; just put her in a coma."

Sakura suddenly sprung up and caught Adrian in a hug. "Thank you... Thank you..." she whispered, crying happy tears.

Adrian didn't know what to do in this situation. Never had he ever had anyone thank him, especially not the way Sakura was doing it. Plus, he never really handled kids all that well before. All he could think to do was simply pat the young princess on the head. "Don't think much of it..." he muttered, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"So wait... if this isn't the work of Nohrians, then what?" Hana asked, going back to what Adrian said about how Mikoto's condition wasn't really their enemies' doing.

"We call them Invaders, as we don't really know who they truly are ourselves until further notice," the male trainer answered, half-lying to them. "All we know is that they're a third party force, most likely the real cause of the war between Hoshido and Nohr."

"That sounds quite vague. What makes you so sure?" Subaki asked.

"Then riddle me this. Queen Mikoto's barrier was suppose to make Nohrians unable to fight at all whatsoever once they step foot in Hoshido. Then how in the world did her attempt assassin call upon Corrin's previous sword and use it to, not only almost kill her, but attempt to harm every innocent civilians back at the plaza?"

The male pegasus rider opened his mouth to speak, only to shut it and took a thinking pose, as did Hana and Kaze. What Adrian said made a really good point. Queen Mikoto's barrier was meant to force the Nohrians to lose their will to fight. The only reason why Faceless were able to still fight once they entered their queen's barrier was because they have no will. Pokemon were able to battle because they are not from Nohr, but from a different world altogether. Even Riana and Adrian had a will to fight in their own way. So how in the world did that one guy...?

"It's because he wasn't Nohrian..." Kaze said in realization.

"Exactly," Adrian confirmed. "And he can't be from my world or Riana's. Last I checked, no one from our world uses magic the way it is used in this world. And even if there was one, how would he know how that sword really works?"

"So then all this time... we were fighting the wrong enemy?" Hana asked.

This time, it was Corrin who answered. "That's right. I wish we can tell you more, but that's really all we know about this third party. These 'Invaders'."

The Hoshidans looked at each other, taking in this new and valuable information.

Adrian separated himself from Sakura and placed his hands behind his head in a relaxed manner. "Well, I've told you all I have to say. I'd like to take the rest of my time to rest until lunch. Later." Without another word, he took his leave.

"I wouldn't want to intrude on a family reunion," Kaze said. "I, too, will retire until it is time to eat. If you'll excuse me..." He then disappeared.

* * *

Meanwhile, with Riana, she was checking on the field as she said she would. After she was done checking them, she checked the Poke Beanstalk. The sight of it?

"... I know berries grow fast... But how in the world can this beanstalk already be at my height?!" she questioned. As she said, the stalk, which she had planted just yesterday, had already grown to her height. Not only that, but there were already some beans growing out of it. "Sometimes, I question gardening..." Despite what she said, she started to pick the ripe beans.

"What'cha got there?" she heard behind her.

Riana turned and saw Ali standing behind her, staring at the beanstalk.

"Oh. Hey, Ali. I'm guessing you finished checking up on the Day Care?" the Alolan Champion asked.

"Yep. It needs a few more things, though, to be really called a daycare, but it's good enough for now," the photographer answered.

"You're gonna have to need to speak to Corrin later then. She'll get you whatever stuff you need. So long as she knows what it is, of course."

"I'll keep that in mind. So... is this a beanstalk?" Ali approached the plant once more.

"Not just any beanstalk; it's a Poke Beanstalk. This grows treats called Poke Beans that you can feed to your Pokemon. I just planted this yesterday. Imagine my surprise to see it grow this much already."

The non-champ widened her eyes in slight shock at this revelation. "I'm gonna need to take a picture of this. Title it, 'Alolan Champion's Amazing Gardening Skills' or something like that," she said, searching for her camera in her bag.

"I assure you, my gardening skill is actually pretty average," Riana corrected.

That didn't seem to matter, though, for Ali had found her camera and took a shot of the girl and her beanstalk. "By the way, I don't think you ever told me exactly. How did you get here?" the camera girl realized.

Riana just realized herself that she never said how she made it to this world. "Oh yeah, only you told your side. Well... I was with a few friends of mine on one of the four islands. We were there to investigate the disappearance of several trainers in our region, trainers who then returned looking really frightened and horrified. I can't forget those faces I saw; ones that showed endless tears had been shed or sleepless nights they had. My friends said they asked questions as to what happened to them, but... It was just too much..."

Ali had on a worried look on her face as she listened to this.

"After that, we went to an altar where the trainers were found. We didn't know if that was where they disappeared from, but it was a start. And then..." Riana trailed off there, to Ali's confusion.

"And then...?" she asked.

"I saw something at the altar. For some reason, I was the only one who could see it. Next I knew, when I reached out to it, a bright light shone and I found myself in the middle of the woods, alone, near Mozu's village."

"Huh... Completely different from how I got here..." Ali muttered. "You think it's the same for everyone?"

"Adrian came here by complete accident, apparently. As for other trainers... I really hope at least some of them also got dragged here by complete coincidence. In fact, you said you were dragged into a lake by some mysterious force to get here."

Ali looked down when she said that. "I hope my family doesn't get involved in this in any way..." This time, Riana turned to her, as Ali told her story. "I never told you, but before they started a daycare, my parents were both coordinators. Well, my dad was a Top Coordinator, while my mom was a Pokemon Performer. I've seen videos of their performances and battles, and they were amazing. Not enough to get me to take either path though. I also have two brothers, both younger than me. One wants to be a Pokemon Master, and the other wants to follow my dad's footsteps in being a coordinator. If trainers and Pokemon from all over our world are getting dragged into this world, I hope none of them get involved..."

The Alolan Champion could understand her worries. After seeing what became of the trainers that came back from this world, she didn't want to imagine what would happen if her mother or friends were taken to this world, especially Nohr. Even though she and several others found out Valla was the cause of the war between Nohr and Hoshido, it was hard to tell if that kingdom was also responsible for taking trainers from her world, and the Pokemon as well.

Riana looked up and just noticed something off. "By the way, where's Fira?"

Ali looked up and around at the question. "Now that you mentioned it... I haven't seen her since we went out separate ways. I hope she's only playing with the other Pokemon, but with how things are..."

"Might as well check up on her, right?" Riana asked, in which her fellow trainer nodded to. "Then how about a bird's eye view?"

"How? Last I check, Fearow isn't around. And even if it is, I doubt it'd be in any mood to give us a ride."

"True. But Subaki's pegasus is here." Riana pointed at the said winged horse, feeding on some grass. Its reins were tied to a tree branch, as there wasn't a stable yet in the Astral Plane.

Ali's eyes widened and sparkled at the sight of it, as she jumped around to get some good pics of it. "Oh yeah! Now that I think about it, just what sort of Poke- er, animal is that?! It looks a Ponyta without flames and with wings instead! If it were a Pokemon, it'd no doubt be categorized as a Flying-type for sure! A secondary type would probably be Normal, but it will definitely be counted as a flier! I wonder if these guys can evolve like most Pokemon, or is it like some Pokemon that doesn't evolve?!"

"You're being overly passionate again. Please stop before you scare our ride to the point where it won't help us," Riana interrupted, as the pegasus sweat drop at the girl's actions.

Ali covered her mouth shut and meekly put away her camera. "Sorry..."

The Alolan Champion nodded and walked to Subaki's pegasus. "Okay, pal. Hope you don't mind helping us out for a bit. We just want to know where the Pokemon are."

The pegasus neighed and nodded in response.

Riana took the reins. "Then if you don't mind..." To Ali, she asked, "You know how to get on a Ponyta, right?"

The girl knew what the champion meant and got on the pegasus's back. Once she was up, Riana followed, sitting in front of her.

"Okay. Let's go!" With a snap of the reins, the mount took flight in the air.

Ali hung on to the rider. She once rode a Ponyta before, and the speed the pegasus was going, adding to the fact that they were soaring in the air, it reminded her of that.

"Whoa! This really is like riding on a Ponyta with wings!" she exclaimed.

"Right?!" Riana agreed. "Now where did the Pokemon go...?" The pair looked down at the ground below. As it turns out, by the daycare, Fira was there, along with all the other Pokemon, including the Fearow and Kaze's Ninjask.

"I guess Fira wants to help out at the daycare too," Ali said. "I didn't notice any of them even approaching the place."

"And it looks like she's already getting started on the rehabilitation with Rocky, Blue, Muddy, and Kaze's Ninjask's help," Riana noticed, as the four Pokemon got the rescued Pokemon to play with them. "Either that, or they found that this place was big enough for them to play."

"That sounds like a bigger possibility..." Ali noticed someone waving from below. No... Not just waving; the guy was also shouting at them. "I think that Subaki guy sees us."

Riana looked down and saw Sakura's male retainer shouting at them. They couldn't hear that well from where they were, but they were sure it was along the lines of 'Give me back my pegasus!' or something of the sort.

"Looks like playtime is over..." she said.

Ali looked at her in slight shock. "You wanted to ride on the pegasus for fun?"

* * *

In the mess hall, Mozu, Jakob, and even Azura were making some rice balls for everyone.

"I still don't think such a meal is suitable for Lady Corrin's palate," Jakob stated, scooping some rice to put in a triangular shape.

"It can't be helped, Jakob. After all, we're quite low on ingredients at the moment," Azura reasoned, cutting some berries in small pieces.

"You really don't have to help out, Azura. Jakob and I have everything," Mozu politely said.

"It's fine. Besides, we trainers also have to make something for our Pokemon. At least, that's what Riana taught me."

"Now that you mentioned her, how did she become your retainer? And within the one month that I haven't seen her, too."

"I am also quite curious as to how you have two Pokemon trainers become your retainers," Jakob said.

"It was actually Queen Mikoto who made them my retainers," the songstress answered. "Well, rather she asked Riana to, after finding out she was a Pokemon Trainer and the truth of Pokemon. Not only that, Riana was the only person outside the family who wanted to be around me. As I was the only royalty without a retainer, Queen Mikoto didn't find that fair, and took the chance to make Riana my retainer. At first, Riana wanted to decline, as there would be a time when she would have to return home. But since she didn't know how to get home, Queen Mikoto offered to help out."

"And that's how Riana became your retainer?" Mozu asked.

"That's right. You couldn't believe how happy I was to hear her accept the position."

"Quite a cheesy story. A royalty's best friend becoming her retainer," Jakob said. "If this was a normal situation, I highly doubt such a thing would come to be."

* * *

"Achoo!" Hana sneezed, as she, Corrin, Sakura, and Subaki met up with Riana and Ali, the latter pair returning the male retainer his pegasus.

"Bless you, Hana. Are you okay?" the youngest princess asked.

Rubbing her nose, the swordswoman retainer answered, "Yeah. I think someone was talking about me."

* * *

"Achoo!" A sneeze was heard in the Kingdom of Nohr, where a group of three stood in the stables.

"Are you okay, Effie?" Elise asked her female retainer, the source of the sneeze.

"You didn't catch a chill, did you?" Arthur, her male retainer, asked.

"I don't feel cold in any way," Effie answered, rubbing her nose.

"Anyway, we should hurry! Camilla's gonna need all the help she can get to find the two trainers!" Elise eagerly said, getting on her horse.

* * *

"So wait, how did Adrian become your retainer? If Riana was asked to be your retainer, what about him?" Mozu asked.

"He actually became my retainer as a sort of light punishment," Azura answered.

Mozu and Jakob were not at all expecting to hear that answer.

"It was a punishment? How? What for?" the butler asked.

"He was stealing some food earlier that day. That very day, he apparently suddenly found himself in our world. And since their currency and ours aren't the same, adding to the fact that he didn't have anything much to sell for money, he had to resort to stealing. Not just for himself, but for his Pokemon as well," Azura said. "Riana just happened to be at the scene and managed to prevent him from getting away. As punishment, and as a way to help him cope with our world while he was here, Queen Mikoto punished him to be my retainer."

The pair of audience sweat dropped at the story told.

"That's quite the unexpected way of becoming a retainer," Mozu said.

"I agree," Jakob nodded.

"Yes. But even so, I was quite happy," Azura said. "Before they became my retainer, before they even came into my life, I couldn't help but feel quite jealous of my family. They had retainers, people to talk to, people who'll be there for them, people who are willing to be themselves in a good way around them, people who actually care about them that are not part of the family. I may have Blue with me since my childhood, but it just wasn't the same. I wanted to at least speak with another person. Even though Blue could understand whatever I say, it wasn't the same as another person listening to my words."

"I think I can understand that," Mozu spoke. "Ever since Muddy came into my village, he helped out a lot in all the work around the village. And when he wasn't busy, when I wasn't busy, we'd often either play together or train together. And whenever I wanted to explain to Muddy of a couple of combos I had in mind, it was hard to tell if he understands what I was saying or not. It kind of makes me envious of the deep bond Ali had with her Pokemon team, and Riana with Lycanroc."

Azura nodded at Mozu's words, glad that someone understood how she felt.

"I suppose I, too, can relate to that..." Jakob said.

"You too, Jakob?" the songstress asked.

"By Lady Corrin's dog, of course. When that pup first hatched from its egg, it understood everything and anything we say. And yet... whenever I scold him for any wrongs he had done, berate him for damages he caused or injuries he may have had caused to Lady Corrin, even tried to teach him some tricks that no dogs would learn right off the bat, he completely ignored me. Yet, when Lady Corrin speaks to him, he acts so obedient, listened to every word she said carefully, and actually feel quite guilty when she was the one scolding him for his mistakes! If it was just because he instantly imprinted onto her or because he was just a normal dog, I would understand, but he also listened intently to Flora and Felicia, Corrin's maids, without a problem!" As he spoke his side of the story, he unconsciously crushed some rice he scooped in his hands, practically making mochi out of them instead of rice balls.

The two girls couldn't help but feel a bit bad for the butler.

"You certainly have it quite rough," Azura said.

Mozu perked up at one of the things he said. "Hang on, you said Rocky hatched from an egg? But he doesn't look anything like a bird."

"I wouldn't have believed it myself, but I saw him hatch myself," Jakob confirmed.

"Now that you mentioned it, when Adrian suggested to have a Pokemon Daycare here, he did mention eggs, as in in general," Azura recalled.

"So wait, all Pokemon comes from eggs?" Mozu asked.

"Apparently so."

Upon hearing that answer, Mozu couldn't help but wonder how Muddy could've hatched from an egg. And so to say, she was having a hard time believing it.

"They say seeing is believing. Perhaps when we come across an unusual egg, we'll all watch the hatching procedure," Jakob suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea. I would love to see for myself the miracle of Pokemon life," Azura said. "Now then, we should hurry and finish things up here. Who knows how hungry everyone is by now?"

Nodding in agreement to the princess, the farmer and butler resumed in cooking.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Nohr, Mark and Nate managed to find some old and dirtied cloaks laying around in the alley and used them to conceal their identities. Now that they were in a whole new world, in a completely different environment, in an extremely different lifestyle, both boys knew their clothes would stand out if they left them as is. They would've taken some clothes instead, but the streets they were in seemed to barely have enough of them and decided against that, for the sake of other people.

"How long do you think we can hide?" Nate asked.

"In all honesty? I'm not so sure. In fact, I don't know how long it'll take until those guys send out any big guns after us instead," Mark answered.

Neither answer made Nate feel any better, as he looked down, worried.

Mark placed a hand on his head. "Hey, it'll be okay. I'll protect you, Nate. I promise. And I also promise that one way or another, we will get mom and dad back."

"How?" the little brother asked.

"There were some talk around town. I heard something about this kingdom being at war with another. We can try sneaking to the other kingdom and ask them to help us," the older brother answered. "In fact, I also heard there is a town in this kingdom that is joining the other side to rebel against this kingdom. And looking at the situation of the town, as well as what happened back in that building, I can only guess why."

"But what if they refuse?"

"Just leave the 'what-if's to me. I'll handle everything, little bro. Promise." The two boys heard faint footsteps approaching. "Quick! Makeup!"

By 'makeup', he meant applying some dirt and smudges on their faces, as well as keeping their cloaks wrapped around them. Once that was done, the pair did what several others were doing and lied on the side of the streets, keeping their heads down to prevent making eye contact with the approaching soldiers.

"Alright, you damn commoners! Listen up, and listen good!" shouted one of the soldiers. Well, he didn't look anything like a soldier. He was a bald, muscular guy, and he seemed really, really dangerous. "By the order of King Garon, we're to inspect each and every one of you maggots! A certain pair of rats ran off from his 'kind welcome', and it is our job as the Nohrian army, especially his most trusted men, to find and escort them back to his majesty! Now you better cooperate, or there will be blood to shed!"

Mark and Nate flinched at those words. They didn't think they'd get found like this. Not so soon! The older brother especially hoped that their disguise would last them for a few days at least.

Hans looked over to where the two were. "Let's start with you two over there. In cloaks. You seem suspicious enough," he said with an evil smirk on his face.

"Brother..." Nate muttered to Mark.

The older brother slowly got up, hastily looking around to see if there was something, anything at all that could help give their pursuers the slip. Upon seeing some rocks on the floor, an idea came to him.

He tore off and tossed his borrowed cloak at the army, taking out a Pokeball and tossed it. "Pebbles, go!" Appearing out was a tortoise-like Pokemon with plated, gray rocks as its shell.

"Golem!" it roared out.

"Wha-?! Mark?!" Nate gasped.

"Catch them!" Hans instantly ordered. The men under his command all prepared their weapons.

"Quick, use Stealth Rock!" Mark commanded Pebbles.

The Golem became surrounded by silver glitters. The glitters grew bigger and fired around the area. Good news, none of the innocents on the street were hit, and they were smart enough to run away from the fight that was to come. Bad news, none of them even reached Hans and his guys.

The Nohrian Berserker laughed at the failed attack. "Was that suppose to hit any of us? How weak! Get him!"

"Run, Nate!" Mark called, as he grabbed his brother by the hand and started running, with Pebbles running right behind the two.

The Nohrian soldiers all ran after the boys. However, after taking a step into the zone of Pebbles' Stealth Rock, the rocks that were formed from the glitters suddenly rose and struck each and every one of them.

"What the hell?!" Hans gasped.

On the other side, Nate also saw what had occurred back there and was shocked. "Whoa! What just happened?!" he asked.

The question brought a smile on his brother's face. "What I hoped for! Stealth Rock is usually a move that harms a Pokemon that enters the field! In a situation like this, it's also a good attack to hold back pursuers like those guys!" Mark answered.

"Whoa! That's amazing, brother!"

"Well of course! You're looking at the future Pokemon Master after all!"

"And what's your plan for those that are still chasing us?!"

At Nate's question, Mark looked back and saw several soldiers had withstood against the Stealth Rock and are chasing after them.

"Darn it! I didn't think that far!" he exclaimed.

"That can't be!" Nate exclaimed. An idea came to the boy's mind. "I know!" He dug into his pocket and pulled out a Pokeball. "Flutter! Help us out!"

Coming out of the Pokeball was a big butterfly with a purple body, red eyes, blue snout, hands, and feet. "Free! Free!" it cried out.

"Flutter! Cover the area in Sleep Powder!" On the boy's command, the Butterfree flapped his wings, spreading green powder from them and engulfing the whole area in its green powder. Not only the soldiers still chasing them, but also those knocked out, the bystanders in the area, and Hans were also affected by the powder and were put to sleep.

Nate, who had covered his mouth with a handkerchief he had, cheered, "Yes! It worked!" A thud was then heard and he tripped over something. Looking down, he saw his brother and Pebbles were also affected by the attack. "Mark! Oh come on!" he complained. Helping his brother return his Golem back in his ball, he left carrying the teen himself to Flutter, who managed to carry him without any sort of problem. "We have to find a better place to hide. Come on!" With that, he led his Butterfree away from the area.

Unknown to him, there was one other soul in the area who saw everything.

* * *

Back to the Astral Realm, oblivious to the happenings in Nohr, Corrin's group all got together for the meal Mozu, Jakob, and Azura had prepared for them. Joining them, outside the mess hall, were the Pokemon, given their own portion of rice balls. As much as the trainers wanted to eat with their partners and best friends, they also thought it was better if they leave their Pokemon out with the rescued Pokemon, so as to help them warm up to others a little more.

"Ooh! That's really sour! But also so good!" Corrin stated, her face slightly crunching up from the sour taste of the berry in her rice ball.

"Right? I've been practicing using these berries to cook meals back at home and got the hang on using them. Nomel and Belue Berries are good substitutes in place of pickled plums," Mozu said.

"I still can't believe you used Belue Berries. Back home, these things would sell for tens of thousands!" Ali exclaimed.

At those words, some of the people eating the Belue Berry rice balls spat out the content they were chewing in shock.

"This berry is that valuable?!" Hana gasped.

"In most regions, they are. But not in Alola, where I'm from. Lost of different kinds of berries are grown on the islands," Riana explained, eating the rice ball containing the said berry.

"And if I recall, Belue is said to improve one's beauty, while Nomel improves one's toughness," Adrian added.

Those words caused the majority of the girls to perk up, as they suddenly got to his face.

"Is that true?!" Corrin asked.

"Berries can do that too?!" Sakura followed.

"They improve beauty and strength?!" Hana followed after.

Taken aback by the sudden questions, Adrian said, "W-Well, usually these effects work on Pokemon. But the healing berries' properties work on humans as well without side effects, so I would think so."

"I do remember hearing a rumor about Bluk Berries gifting a Pokemon's hair to be more shiny and met a trainer who has shiny hair because she was eating that particular berries for weeks," Ali vouched.

Almost instantly, the female fighters grabbed all the Belue Berry riceballs, with Hana grabbing some Nomel Berry riceballs as well, and hastily ate through each and every one of them, much to the trainers and the male fighters' surprise.

"Whoa, hey! If you eat that fast, you'll choke!" Riana warned.

As if on cue, the girls choked on the rice, finding it difficult to swallow. Hastily, the others grabbed their cups of water and helped them drink and wash down their meal.

"What'd I just say...?" the Alolan champion sighed.

Corrin let out a nervous chuckle. "I-I guess we went a little too fast... But still, to think berries have such properties in your world. I'm surprised, and curious to know more."

"Maybe after lunch. I'd rather you don't choke on anything as we tell you more about our world." Corrin nodded in agreement to the idea.

As they continued to eat, a thought came to Ali's mind. More than just a thought; rather, it was a request. "Riana, can I ask you something?" she asked.

"Hm? What's up?" her fellow female trainer asked back.

"Well... I'd like to request a Pokemon battle with you!" Cue another spit take at those words, minus Adrian, Jakob and Gunter, the latter two who know little about how Pokemon battles work in the Pokemon world.

"Hang on, I'm pretty sure you can't just go and ask for a battle that easily! That's like me constantly asking Lord Ryoma for a duel and I never do that!" Hana exclaimed.

Rather than agreeing with her, Riana answered, "Sure, I don't mind." This surprised them even more; after what they heard about what the title of 'Pokemon Champion' means in the trainers' world, they thought it was similar to holding the title of being part of a royal family, captain of an elite force, or practically that of a legend. For Riana to accept the request so easily, were they overthinking it?

"If you don't mind me asking though, why do you want a battle?" the Alolan Champion then asked.

"Well, we're the same age. And I had competed in plenty other Pokemon Leagues before Kalos, but haven't really beaten them. I took down a few Elite Four members, but that's just it; only a few. I never had a battle against a Pokemon Champion. You're the youngest to hold the title, and have been holding it for a few years. And unlike most leagues, I heard there are a lot of trainers who battled you to take that title, but you still remain undefeated! I want to see for myself how powerful the youngest Pokemon Champion really is!"

When Ali puts it that way, it was all the more reason for Riana to not refuse. Originally, she only accepted because she wanted to have a Pokemon Battle with someone who wasn't Adrian. After all, it does gets boring to battle the same person every day of the week, especially if the result often ends in ties.

"How about we have that battle after lunch?" Riana then suggested.

"Right!"

* * *

Meanwhile, with Camilla, after leaving the city streets to Hans, she was on her wyvern, flying about around the woods. Her retainers, Serena and Beruka, were on the latter's wyvern, searching on the opposite side of the woods. And before you wonder about her trusting Hans in the city, it wasn't her idea; it was Iago's. And yes, she did question why he was even in charge of the plans, but apparently, if Camilla were to fly about on her wyvern in the city, it would alert the missing trainers, whereas if she were to search in the woods, they wouldn't suspect as much as they would if they were in the city. Did she hate the point he made? Yes. Yes she did.

Thankfully, since Elise wasn't asked by her father to join Camilla in the search, nor was she asked to not get involved, the older sister had asked her little sister to search in the city as well, but not with Hans or his group. If they were lucky enough, Elise and her retainers may find the trainers first and either take them to safety or to Camilla herself for her to deal with them. After what happened at Bottomless Canyon, the wyvern-riding princess wouldn't trust Hans in finding the trainers and bringing them back alive and unharmed. Was she worried about Elise? Yes, yes she was. But the girl was the one who insisted on this plan, and it was the only plan they could come up with on such short notice.

She heard a slight explosion from a distance and looked to see a blue Pokemon with red wings flying out of a building, roaring.

"A rouge Pokemon?! And at a time like this..." Camilla muttered, turning her wyvern around to face this new adversary. Her wyvern flew over to the dragon Pokemon at full speed.

The Pokemon noticed the pair approaching, and breathed out flames at them. Camilla's wyvern reacted fast enough to avoid the flames, continuing to close in on it. The first princess took out her axe. ' _I'll just use the backside of my axe and my tome. After all, we still need those Pokemon,_ ' she thought.

The Pokemon let out a loud roar, showing an extremely frightening face. Camilla's wyvern flinched at the sight, and the rider felt her mount slowing down. "Wait, what's wrong?" she asked it.

Another roar was heard, as she looked up and saw the Pokemon coming at her with its front claws covered in and enlarged by a dark green aura. Camilla swung her axe, doing her best to deflect each and every swipe. Unfortunately, with one hand using her weapon and the other holding on to her mount, it was only a matter of time until the dragon-like Pokemon knocked the axe away, as well as knock Camilla off her wyvern.

The non-Pokemon dragon shrieked in worry for its rider and flew as fast as it could to the Nohrian First Princess. However, the Pokemon had other plans, as it knocked the reptilian down with another Dragon Claw, hard.

Camilla looked up at the ferocious creature above and saw it opened its mouth wide. An orange ball appeared in front of its mouth and began to gather energy, no doubt prepared to fire a very powerful attack. The Nohrian first princess didn't know what sort of attack it was going to use, but she definitely knew it wasn't going to be pretty, and she did not want to be on the receiving end of it. She recalled that she has a Pokemon of her own and grabbed the Pokeball from her person, however...

" _If you think you can control that Pokemon, good luck with that,_ " came Riana's voice in her head, causing her to hesitate.

" _Tell me, have you encountered any trainers like me in your kingdom? If you did, do you know what happened to the Pokemon that were with them?_ "

" _You were taken from your trainer, weren't you?_ "

" _You have other trainer Pokemon, don't you? You took those Pokemon from their trainers, didn't you?!_ "

That last one especially caused her to falter and hesitate in even thinking of using the Pokemon she has. Was this Pokemon, the Pokemon her father gifted her, forcibly taken from its real trainer? Was it the same for all the other Pokemon, including the ones her siblings have? ... Were the trainers these Pokemon belonged to even told of the war that was going on in this world?

A screech was heard, as Camilla looked up and saw the rogue(?) Pokemon had finished charging up its attack, prepared to fire.

Suddenly, something flew out of the woods nearby and hit the Pokemon hard, knocking it out and cancelling the attack.

"SORR-!" a voice was heard as the Pokemon and its assailant fell, and was followed by sounds of pains. "Oof! Ack! Ah! Oof!"

Camilla got up and rushed to the pair in the woods. Upon arriving, she found the red-winged Pokemon down and out. Near it was a large stone slab, and near that was a human boy, knocked out and sprawled on top of a bush. Not only that, but his clothing... it seemed a lot like...

' _A Pokemon trainer?_ ' she thought, walking over to him.

Upon taking only a few steps closer, the boy suddenly shot up, prompting her to freeze in slight shock.

"Did anyone get the number on that Rapidash~?" he spoke in a dazed tone... before fainting on her the very next second.

The Nohrian first princess was honestly baffled by the sight of this. Albeit it may be by accident, she was saved by a Pokemon Trainer. Not to mention, this trainer may be one of the two she was tasked to bring in. But now this brings up a question: does she want to bring him in? Does she want to bring this person to her father, especially after she thought over Riana's words? In fact, now that she had thought about it, she rarely see these trainers that leave their Pokemon in Nohr, and even more rarely ever speak to them. The only time she saw them was when they were escorted by a group of soldiers to someplace in the castle, or unconscious and hefted over the shoulder of one of those soldiers to a room. After that, she didn't know what happened to them; only that they left many days later, leaving their Pokemon behind. If... If what Riana had accused them for was true...

The first princess looked around and saw no one near. She called her wyvern over and picked up the boy, while her mount got the Pokemon on its back. After that, they made their way deeper into the woods.


	17. More Downtime and Revelation, Partly

**God, it's been so, so long. I cannot believe how long it had been since I last updated. Then again, with how distracted I've been, and the fact that I got other stories to work on, I don't think I can really blame myself. Especially with Persona Q2 out. And I have gotten a Nintendo Switch at last~ Now I just have to wait for the games to come... And then I'll be even more distracted... But of course! I'll try to make time and update whatever stories I can! You all do not have to worry about that one bit! ... Okay, maybe you should worry as updates will slow down... But regardless of that, let us start this chapter! And I know some of you have been waiting so long for this to begin so let us get to it! Chop chop!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Fire Emblem of any kind for either of them. I do own my OC. Adrian is owned by Antex- The Legendary Zoroark. Ali(cia), Mark and Nate are owned by kitsunelover300. New character owned by soon-to-be-revealed XD... Literally to be revealed.**

* * *

"Normal people talking"

' _Thoughts_ '

" _ **Z-MOVE!**_ "

" _ **Dragon-type Pokemon talking**_ " Only from Corrin's perspective

" _Pokemon talking_ "

* * *

After lunch was over, as requested, Riana and Ali were out on the large, open field for their Pokemon battle. Corrin and the others were all at the sidelines, sitting on some benches the princess conjured up.

"To think we'll be seeing another Pokemon battle between real trainers. I know we often see Riana and Adrian battle, but this is with a different person. I wonder how this battle play out," Kaze said.

"I agree with Kaze. It's kind of like sparring. Training with your rival tends to make things predictable at times, but with someone different, that's when things get exciting," Hana stated.

"How am I not surprised that you'd compare Pokemon battles to your sparring practices?" Subaki sighed, shaking his head.

"What was that, Subaki?!"

"Please don't fight!" Sakura quickly asked of her retainers.

"The Pokemon seem especially excited with what will happen," Azura stated, looking over to where Blue was with the rest of the Pokemon. All sat at the sidelines, watching the battle that was to happen soon.

Back at the Astral Planes, again, after lunch was over, before heading back out to the real world, as promised, Ali and Riana were having their Pokemon battle. Thankfully, Corrin made a Pokemon battlefield for them using the Dragon Veins. Acting as a referee was Adrian, while everyone else sat at the sidelines.

"How barbaric for them to actually be looking forward to this fight that will soon happen," Jakob said.

"But isn't Lady Corrin also looking forward to this battle?" Mozu asked.

True to his words, as the butler turned to his mistress, he saw the girl and her Rockruff eager to watch the battle. Seeing this caught him off guard.

"The Pokemon Battle between Riana, the Alola Champion, and the challenger, Ali, will commence shortly," Adrian called. "This will be a three-on-three battle, with the challenger being the only one able to substitute Pokemon at any time. The battle will end when one trainer's Pokemon are unable to continue."

"Won't that put Riana at a disadvantage?" Sakura asked.

"Most likely. Then again, she is a champion of her world. Surely a small handicap is nothing to the likes of her," Subaki said.

"Of what I heard from them, that sort of handicap is actually normal in their world," Azura stated. "That being said, if Riana held her title for so long with that handicap, I don't think we have to worry much about it being a disadvantage in anyway."

"I'll start things off. Let's go, Eelektross!" Riana called out her EleFish Pokemon.

"Eelektross!" he screeched.

"An Electric-type... In that case, Pudding, I choose you!" Ali called out her Goodra to the field.

" _ **I'm ready when you are, Ali!**_ " he cried out.

Corrin, being the only one who can understand a certain type of Pokemon, was shocked to hear his voice.

"Let the match begin!" Adrian called.

"Pudding, use Flamethrower!" Ali began. Her Goodra breathed out powerful flames upon her command.

"Block with Aqua Tail!" Riana ordered. Eelektross, with streams of water spiraling around his tail, slammed it against the Flamethrower, blocking the Fire-type move.

Ali was shocked to see that happen. "What?!"

"You'll have to do better than that. Get in close and use Thunderbolt!" With great speed, Eelektross flew towards Pudding. Once it was at close range, he unleashed his Electric-type move at the Goodra. Strong as the attack was, however, it didn't seemed to be doing as much damage as it should on Pudding.

"Knock him away!" Ali called.

" _ **Go away!**_ " Pudding used his antennas to hit Eelektross, sending him away from him.

Eelektross managed to regain himself and hovered on his side of the field.

"Impressive," Riana spoke. "That Goodra of yours is stronger than I thought."

"Well, of course. Pudding has a high defense against Special Attacks like that. And don't forget that as a Dragon-type, Electric-type moves won't do much against him," Ali stated.

Hearing that surprised those at the sidelines.

"That Pokemon is a dragon?!" Azura gasped.

"It doesn't look much like a dragon!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Well, we've long known that a Pokemon's appearance doesn't always match their type, as we've seen with Riana's Mimikyu..." Kaze stated. Corrin and the Hoshidans took a thought when he said that and found it to be true. They believed that Mimikyu was a Ghost-type, but a Fairy-type as well? Kind of hard to believe. Plus, it would explain how Corrin was able to understand him.

"However, there's more to battles than just type advantage and high defense. Go, Eelektross!" Riana said. Eelektross once again flew towards Pudding.

"Keep him away! Flamethrower!" Ali ordered. Pudding breathed out more flames at the EleFish Pokemon, attempting to keep his distance from his opponent.

"Dodge it!" Eelektross narrowly avoided the flames, continuing his advance towards his opponent. "Now use Aqua Tail!"

"Protect!" Just as Eelektross swung his water-coated tail at Pudding, the Goodra had up a forcefield, blocking the move.

"We're not done yet! Use Thunderbolt!"

"But that attack won't do much against him," Mozu stated at Riana's decision, as Eelektross used his attack once more.

"Hit him away again!" At Ali's words, Pudding raised his antenna to knock his opponent away once more.

"Grab it!" The EleFish Pokemon held out his arms and stopped the swing. He then proceeded to swiftly go around Pudding and clung onto him from behind. "Use Thunderbolt again!" And another dose of electricity was delivered.

"What is she planning on achieving?" Kaze wondered. "She must have a reason for using that same attack over and over."

"Doubtful. You say she's some champion of another world, but that does not seem like so," Jakob said.

"No. She has a plan. But what?" Azura corrected.

"Use your tail!" Ali called. Pudding wrapped his tail around Eelektross and got him off, tossing him away. "If they're planning for what I think they are, we have to stay one step ahead! Rain Dance!"

" _ **Let it rain!**_ " Pudding let out a loud cry. At his beckoning, rain clouds appeared above them, and made it rain.

"She made it rain at will?!" Jakob gasped, as he and the others in the sidelines, minus Adrian, did their best to cover themselves, with the retainers and Kaze especially attempting to shield the rain from the princesses.

"To control the weather at will so easily. Not even the most powerful mages of Nohr are capable of such feat," Gunter stated in amazement.

A smirk formed on Riana's face. "You should've saved that," she said, to Ali's confusion. "Use Gastro Acid!" The confusion changed to shock, Eelektross spat out multiple purple acids from his mouth right at Pudding.

"Oh no! Protect!" At Ali's hasty command, Pudding managed to conjure up his barrier once more, just in time to not get hit by the Gastro Acid.

"Smart on both sides," Adrian stated, getting the other's attention.

"What do you mean?" Mozu asked.

"Gastro Acid is a move that cancels out a Pokemon's ability. Had that attack hit, Ali's Goodra's ability would never activate in this battle. And by the looks of it, his ability is Hydration, which allows the user to be healed from status effects such as poison or paralysis when soaked in rain."

"'Paralysis'?" Corrin repeated. Her eyes then widened in realization, as she caught on to Riana's plan. "So was Riana...?"

"So you know? Thunderbolt has a chance of paralyzing the opponent. And if that happened, it would hinder Goodra's movements."

Hearing that caused everyone to look back at the battle, puzzled by the information given to them.

"But even so, with Goodra's defensive move, it'll be impossible for that acid to hit then," Subaki pointed out.

"There's a downside to Protect. If used too many times, its chance of succession lowers each time," Adrian added, increasing their shock.

"Then in order to end this battle quickly..." Sakura began.

"Ali and her Pokemon must defeat Eelektross before Riana's plan come to fruition," Gunter finished.

"Dragon Pulse!" Ali ordered. A multi-colored orb appeared in front of Pudding's mouth, in which he fired a dragon-shaped beam of energy at Eelektross.

"Block with Aqua Tail!" Riana shouted. Her EleFish Pokemon once again blocked Pudding's attack, with the Aqua Tail noticeably stronger than it was before.

"Did that attack look stronger that it usually does to everyone else too?" Mozu asked.

"Is that... because of the rain?" Azura guessed.

"That's right. In this weather, Water-type moves are stronger than usual, while Fire-type moves are weaker than usual," Adrian explained.

"Advance! Keep that Aqua Tail!" At Riana's command, Eelektross soared across the field to Pudding, Aqua Tail still active.

"Protect!" Pudding summoned his barrier once more, successfully blocking the attack once more. However, if one were to look at the battle close-up, they could see that the Protect move is wavering slightly.

"Flash!" Where it was yellow on Eelektross's body suddenly glowed brightly, blinding Pudding and distracting him enough to cause him to lower the Protect. "Now Gastro Acid!" The moment they saw the opening, Eelektross spat out more acid from its mouth, all hitting Pudding at point blank.

"Oh no!" Ali gasped.

"Now use Thunderbolt! Aim at the sky!" Rather than striking the Goodra again, as many had thought, Eelektross unleashed his attack straight at the rain clouds above him. Thunder was heard and lightning was seen. Seconds later, a bolt shot down and struck Pudding. Not only that, static electricity was seen on the Dragon-type's body.

"Great, paralysis..." Ali groaned. "All the more reason to end this battle quickly! Dragon Pulse!"

"Aqua Tail!"

Like before, the two attacks collided, with Eelektross's Aqua Tail successfully blocking Pudding's Dragon Pulse.

"Again with Aqua Tail!" Eelektross soared across the field, getting closer to Pudding and prepared to smack him away.

It was here, Ali took advantage of the handicap. "Pudding, return!" Before the attack hit, she called back her Goodra.

"Decided to switch out for another Pokemon?" Riana asked.

"Of course. I rather not have Pudding lose because he wasn't able to use his ability," Ali answered.

A few Hoshidans at the sidelines let out a breath they didn't know they were holding.

"That was a close one," Hana said.

"But that means she can call Pudding back out later, right?" Sakura asked.

"That's right. For now, let's see what Pokemon Ali will be calling out next," Adrian said.

Ali herself was wondering who she should call out. She was aware now of Riana's Eelektross's moves and she knew Eelektross's only ability is Levitate. So of the two other Pokemon she can call out of the five she has on her, who should she call...?

"Eevee!" Fira called, getting her trainer's attention. "Eevee! Vee vee eevee!" With the determined look she had and the way she was barking at her trainer, Ali knew she wanted to give the battle a shot.

A small smile formed on Ali's face as she knelt down to the Eevee. "You want to give it a shot?"

"Eevee!" Fira nodded.

Ali placed a hand on her head. "I appreciate that, but this isn't like the other battles we've had. Against a champion, I have to battle at her level. You're still a little young for this sort of battle. I promise I'll have you battle her when you evolve."

Though was a bit saddened that she wouldn't take part of the battle, Fira understood. After all, she was only a year old, and she didn't have much experience in battles as Ali's other Pokemon.

Standing back up, Ali made her decision. "Okay. Teddy! I choose you!" Out of her next Pokeball was her huge blue and white bear.

"Lax..." he spoke.

"A Snorlax. Been a while since I last faced one of those. Let's see how strong it is! Aqua Tail!" With the boost from the still-active Rain Dance, Eelektross rushed at Teddy with his Aqua Tail.

"Use Ice Punch!" At Ali's call, Teddy curled one of his paw into a fist, emitting a chilling energy. The two attacks collided, and the water around Eelektross's tail and the raindrops around them were freezing up into ice.

"He stopped it!" Hana gasped.

"Thunderbolt!" Riana shouted, and her Eelektross, still in close contact with Teddy, unleashed his Electric-type move at the Normal-type.

"We're not done yet! Pull him in a hug!" Ali exclaimed. Enduring through the attack, Teddy grabbed Eelektross's frozen tail and pulled him in a tight embrace."Now jump high!" Teddy leapt high up into the air, to everyone's shock.

"That big guy jumps that high?!" Subaki gasped.

"Eelektross, keep up with the Thunderbolt!" Riana shouted.

"Giga Impact!" At Ali's call, while being zapped by Eelektross, Teddy started to fall down with his opponent, both covered in purple energy with yellow streaks of aura spiraling around it. Eventually, the pair hit the ground hard, causing an explosion to occur, with dust being blown across the field.

"Eelektross!" Riana called in worry.

Everyone else watched in anticipation, wondering if that one move defeated the EleFish Pokemon or if Eelektross was still able to battle. The dust died down, as did the rain, revealing Teddy lying on the field. He got up and moved back, revealing a knocked out Eelektross.

"Eelektross is unable to battle! Teddy is the winner!" Adrian announced.

"Yes! Nice going, Teddy!" Ali cheered.

"Snorlax," the Normal-type simply said, just as happy as his trainer.

"Return, Eelektross," Riana called back her Pokemon. "You did your best. Take a nice long rest. Now then... against a Snorlax..." Riana took out another Pokeball. "Let's do you! Ledian!" Out was a big humanoid, ladybug-like Pokemon with two short, black antennas and large blue eyes.

"Wow! How cute!" Mozu exclaimed.

"It is! No matter how many times I see that Pokemon, it's always so cute to me!" Corrin stated. Hearing that saddened Rocky, who was used to being the cute one in his best friend's eyes. Corrin quickly noticed this and said, "Oh, don't worry, Rocky. You're always the cutest one to me."

"Ruff!" Rocky happily barked.

"You're using a Ledian against my Teddy?" Ali asked, knowing well how weak a small Pokemon like Ledian is compared to a big Pokemon like her Snorlax.

"Don't worry about it," Riana assured. "Small she may be, Ledian is plenty strong. She's not part of my strongest team for nothing. That being said... let's commence! Mach Punch!" At that one order, Ledian suddenly disappeared.

"She's gone?!" Ali gasped, as did those in the sidelines that didn't know Ledian.

Teddy looked around, wondering where his opponent was. Suddenly, a fist made contact with his face, causing him to lose balance and fall on his back.

"Huh?! What just happened?!" Jakob gasped.

"Mach Punch is a move that allows the user to move at blinding speed," Adrian explained.

"I can tell by the name! What I am asking is how did something that small make something that big topple over?!"

Adrian looked at him like he grew an extra head, before realizing one thing. "Oh, yeah. You're not up to date on Pokemon logic. There are two reasons why that move was super effective against Ali's Snorlax. For one thing, it's a Fighting-type move, super effective already against Normal-types like Snorlax. And for another, Riana's Ledian has a hidden ability that few of her kind has, called Iron Fist, which boosts punching moves. Oh, and Riana has been helping and training her Pokemon cover their weakness. In Ledian's case, it'd be the lack of strength, especially against big opponents."

Ali overheard the explanation and couldn't help but admire what Riana did for her Pokemon. "As expected of a Pokemon Champion..." she muttered out, as her Pokemon stood back on his feet.

"If you think that's impressive, you haven't seen anything yet," Riana said. "Agility!" At that one command, Ledian suddenly began to pick up speed, as she flew around the field faster than before.

"Great, like it wasn't hard enough to try to find it..." Ali grimaced, as she and Teddy looked around frantically, trying to follow its movements.

"Comet Punch!" Suddenly, Ledian got to the Snorlax's face and delivered a barrage of punches at his face, with the last punch pushing Snorlax back, almost causing him to fall, had the Sleeping Pokemon not caught itself.

"Are you okay, Teddy?!" Ali gasped.

"Snorlax," he answered, rubbing his face.

The challenger grimaced, as she tried to follow Ledian's movements again. However, the Five Star Pokemon wasn't making it easy for her to follow through at all, as she zoomed around the field.

"Mach Punch!" With Riana's order, another punch struck Snorlax in the face, this time sending the big guy flying out of the field past his trainer.

"Teddy!" Ali cried out, rushing over to her fallen Pokemon. Once she was at his side, she saw swirls in his eyes.

"Teddy is unable to battle! The winner is Ledian!" Adrian announced.

"That's fast! They didn't even have a chance to attack!" Mozu exclaimed in shock.

"With how fast Ledian went, I don't think anyone will be able to fight unless if they're as fast," Corrin said. "Still, I know Ledian was strong, but I never thought she was that strong."

"Indeed," Gunter agreed. "If that one little fella can do that much damage to a Pokemon twice its size, imagine what an army of them would do." They tried not to, but the Hoshidans and the few Nohrians were already picturing mass destruction... all caused by an army of overgrown ladybugs.

"I don't think I'll even see butterflies the same way again..." Sakura muttered, paling up from the thought.

"Although, it could also be because of that Thunderbolt attack Ali's Pokemon took," Kaze said, trying to lighten up the image. "For all we know, those bolts he took weakened him enough to be defeated in just a few hits from Ledian."

At that, the image of ladybugs causing chaos had actually lightened up.

"Return, Teddy," Ali said, calling back her Pokemon in its Pokeball. "You did your best. Now then..." She got back up and returned to her position. "Against a speedy Pokemon like Ledian, I'll also have to battle with speed. Let's go, Chip!" And out is Ali's third Pokemon, which was a small, white and blue squirrel with yellow cheeks.

"Chipa!" it cried out.

"How cute~!" the girls in the sidelines instantly squealed. Half the guys simply sighed at their reaction.

"A Pachirisu! First time I've seen one," Riana said. "But can it match up to Ledian's speed? Agility!" Ledian boosted her speed once more as she zoomed around the air.

"Chip! Charge in!" Ali commanded. Chip did as told and dashed forward at high speed, but not as fast as Ledian.

"Use Mach Punch!"

"Double Team!"

Just as Ledian disappeared to throw a swift and powerful punch at Chip, the Pachirisu glowed for a split second before making copies of itself, narrowly avoiding the Mach Punch attack. Ledian took it to the air again once she saw that she missed her target.

"Can't find a needle if it's in a haystack. Try to find the real thing," Ali challenged.

"Smart play there," Kaze spoke. "Against an opponent you can't beat alone, it's best to fight with numbers. This is especially true for a ninja."

"Like what you did back when we first met in Nohr?" Corrin asked, recalling when he had his Ninjask use Double Team to trap her, Gunter, Jakob, and Rocky and follow the combo up with Screech.

"Yes," he answered.

"You're mistaken if you think numbers scare us. Get on the ground and use Silver Wind!" Riana called. Ledian landed on the ground before the clones. Her wings flashed white and she flapped out wind with silver crescents from them at high speed at the horde of Pachirisu. The attack struck each and every single one of them, with the real one at the back managing to leap over the attack. "There! Mach Punch!" Ledian disappeared from her spot again, and landed a solid hit on Chip, sending him flying back.

"Chip!" Ali cried out in worry. "Are you okay?"

Chip slowly got back up. "Chipa chi..."

"Back in Alola, before I became champion, I battled against a number of baddies who fought with numbers. Using Double Team to blindside me and my Pokemon isn't going to work," Riana said.

"So I see... And it was such a good tactic too, especially with all those Horde Encounters I had to deal with back in Kalos," Ali muttered, recalling the many times she and her Pokemon dealt with hordes of Pokemon.

"Let's keep this up. Another Mach Punch!" At Riana's order, Ledian took flight and disappeared again.

"Double Team!" Chip hastily made more clones of himself, managing to avoid the attack again, as he ran around the field, hidden by his copies.

"Won't the same thing happen?" Mozu asked.

"I told you it's no use. Silver Wind!" Ledian faced the horde and prepared to use her Bug-type move.

"No you don't! Discharge!" Before the wings could be flapped, Chip unleashed a flare of electricity, striking every inch of the field. Most of the bolts struck his clones, causing them to dissipate away, while the rest, being stray shots, went to the side lines, in which many quickly did their best to avoid.

"Hey! Watch where you-" Jakob was cut off as a stray bolt zapped him, electrocuting the poor butler.

"Ah! Jakob!" Corrin gasped, avoiding another bolt.

He wasn't the only one who got hit, for Chip's attack also managed to Riana's Ledian. "Ledian!" Riana called.

"Now use Iron Tail!" At Ali's next command, Chip stopped his Electric attack and charged at Ledian, his tail glowing.

"Ledian! Get a hold of yourself and use Mach Punch!"

The Five Star Pokemon shook herself out of her stupor and looked to see the EleSquirrel Pokemon charging at her. She didn't have the time to move away from her spot, but she did have the time to throw a punch in, at the same time as Chip swinging his tail at her. The two moves struck the opposing Pokemon in the face at the exact same time, causing both to topple over. Upon closer inspection, both Pokemon had swirls in their eyes.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle!" Adrian called.

Corrin and the others, recovering from the surprise Discharge attack, looked back at the field in surprise.

"They... knocked each other out," Sakura panted.

"So wouldn't that... leave them with one Pokemon each now?" Hana asked.

"Ali still has that Dragon-type Pokemon she called out earlier, but Riana has yet to choose her sixth one," Azura said.

"If I were her and want a perfect victory, I'd go with that Fairy-type she has. If I recall, dragon attacks don't affect fairies," Subaki said.

"That does sound reasonable," Kaze agreed.

As they spoke, the two girls called their Pokemon back, and Ali called Pudding back out. As for Riana, although Subaki was right that her Mimikyu would have the advantage against the Goodra, she wasn't one to rely on type advantages, especially not when it would mean Ali and Pudding would have to rely on two moves to try and defeat her. Instead, she will go with...

"Let's go, Kommo-o!" Riana tossed out her Pokeball. Popping out of it was a grey, scaly-armored, reptilian Pokemon, almost as tall as Incineroar. Most of its body had yellow and some red markings, really showing its armor-like scales. The top of its head was covered by an elaborate arrangement of scales, acting out as a headdress. Near the tip of its long tail are three sets of loose scales that increase in size near the tip, each set made up of four separate scales that encircles the tail.

The Pokemon let out a loud roar at its debut. " _ **I am here!**_ "

"What the heck is that?!" Jakob asked.

"That is another Dragon-type, called Kommo-o. Well, Dragon and Fighting-type mix to be exact," Adrian answered. "And sadly, it doesn't look like this battle will last for long."

Kommo-o made eye contact with Pudding. " _ **Oh? This time my opponent is a fellow Dragon-type. Though it seems my comrade before me had given you quite a tough battle.**_ "

" _ **This is nothing, if I can hold out long enough to give Ali the win,**_ " Pudding said confidently, hiding the fact that he was still quite injured from Eelektross's attacks, as well as one other thing.

"Pudding! Use Dragon Pulse!" Ali called. Her Goodra fired his beam attack at Kommo-o.

"Block with Dual Chop!" At Riana's command, Kommo-o crossed his arms together, both glowing green, and managed to deflect the Dragon Pulse attack. "Now use Sky Uppercut!" Kommo-o then charged at Pudding with his right fist glowing.

"Protect!" Pudding tried to conjure up his barrier. However, a static of electricity sparked on him, interrupting his concentration on making the barrier, and forcing him to take the uppercut to the face. Ali's eyes widened at the sight of this. "Pudding! Are you okay?"

" _ **Y-... Yeah...**_ " Pudding nodded.

Despite the answer, Ali clicked her tongue. "Dang, I forgot about the Paralysis. But Gastro Acid should have worn off by now. Rain Dance!"

The Goodra let out a loud cry once more, calling upon the rain clouds again. This time, when it rained, Goodra was enjoying the feel of the raindrops on his body, as he happily soaked himself in the weather.

"Rain again?" Jakob questioned.

"But look. Pudding looks like he's enjoying the weather this time," Sakura noticed.

"Remember what I said about Pudding's ability? What you're seeing is his ability in action. The rain is washing off his paralysis," Adrian explained.

"Dragon Pulse!" Ali called out, having Pudding use his Dragon-type move on Kommo-o once more.

"Dual Chop!" Once again, the Scaly Pokemon deflected the attack with his pair of chops. "Another Sky Uppercut!" He then charged at his opponent once more.

"Dodge it!" Pudding leaned back and avoided the punch this time. "Flamethrower!" He breathed off his Fire-type move at Kommo-o. Due to the Rain Dance, however, the attack wasn't as strong as it should've, and it didn't help that, being a Dragon-type, Fire-type moves don't do much to him in the first place.

"Dual Chop!" Enduring the flames, Kommo-o swiped his pair of glowing arms at Pudding; one as a karate chop to the head, and one as an uppercut to the face. "Clanging Scales." He followed up the attack with a good shake of his armor-like scales and a roar, sending out blue shockwaves at Pudding, which caused an explosion upon impact.

"Pudding!" Ali cried out. Once the smoke cleared up, Pudding lied on the ground in defeat, swirls in his eyes.

"Pudding is unable to battle! Kommo-o is the winner! The victor of this match is the Alolan Champion, Riana!" Adrian called out.

"Nice going, Kommo-o!" Riana complimented her Pokemon.

Hands at his waist, the Scaly Pokemon looked up with a confidential scoff. " _ **Heh. That guy's nothing.**_ "

Ali and Fira went to Pudding's side. "Are you okay?" the trainer asked.

" _ **Oh... I think so...**_ " he answered.

"You did your best. Guess we're really not at that level yet. Take a good rest." She returned him to his Pokeball.

"That was a wonderful battle, you two," Gunter commented the pair of female trainers. "So this is what a Pokemon battle is like between real trainers. I must say, I am truly impressed."

"Right? I can never take my eyes off either Pokemon," Corrin said.

"This battle is especially different. In many ways," Subaki agreed.

"I especially had learned some things in one of those battles. Have you, Ninjask?" Kaze asked his partner.

"Ninjask," the Ninja Pokemon nodded.

"Should I heal up the Pokemon?" Sakura asked.

"You don't need to. Our fainted Pokemon can just rest up at the Day Care. They'll recover their strength while we're gone. After all, we did say we'll need to make our way to Izumo, right?" Ali said.

As they were finishing up lunch earlier, Hana had questioned their next plan of action, in which Azura answered that they should make their way to Izumo, the neutrality kingdom between Nohr and Hoshido. She claimed it to be a good place to start with, especially if they wish to avoid further conflict with Hoshido.

"Are you sure you don't want to wait until they recover?" Azura asked.

"Of course. Besides, the sooner we get to Izumo, the better, right? Plus, we still have other Pokemon on us. We'll be okay."

Everyone turned to Corrin, for it was her final say that would count in this situation.

"Well... Okay. If you say so," she said. With that, Lilith granted them an exit out of Astral Planes.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Nohr, many soldiers were seen patrolling around the streets, in search for Nate and Mark. With how tight security was, it would be hard for either one to escape like they did before. Or so they thought at least.

In one small house, at a distance away from the city, there rested Mark, on a small bed. The boy slowly began to wake, as he opened his eyes and found himself in an unfamiliar room. "What the... Where are we...?" he wondered, getting up.

A door opened, and a pudgy woman entered the room, holding a tray with a bowl on top of it. "My, you're awake," she said in relief. "I hope you're well enough to eat. I've made some soup." She knelt down and handed him the tray of said soup.

"Oh. Thank you," he said, accepting the generosity. One look in the bowl, though, and he saw that there was not much of anything in the soup; just mushrooms and a couple of vegetables, and the broth was quite clear too. One sip, and he can definitely taste the mushrooms above all else, but decided not to say a word of it.

It didn't seem like he needed to, though. "My apologies if the soup is not to your liking," she said. "Lately it's been hard to get anything edible these days, especially with King Garon focusing more on this pointless war than anything else, even his own people."

"Huh? What do you mean?" he asked.

Before she could answer that question, the door opened, and Nate entered. "Mark, you're up!" He rushed to his older brother's side and gave him a hug.

"Hey, lil' bro. Man, am I glad you're safe," Mark said, returning the hug. Upon recalling what happened before he blacked out, Mark turned to the woman and asked, "Wait... Did you help us get away from those soldiers?"

"Not me," she answered.

"I helped out," came a voice outside the room. Peeking in was a girl Nate's age with long, blonde ponytails, wearing a black dress. "Man, you guys really gave them the slip back there. You're lucky I was around or reinforcements would show and you both would've been captured."

Mark was confused with what she meant, as he did not remember much of what happened before he passed out. All he remembered was trying to hold off those guys chasing them with Pebbles, but other than that, nothing. "And who are you?" he asked.

"She's Elise, the youngest princess of this kingdom," Nate introduced. "And this is her wet-nurse, Cassita, who used to work in the castle."

"Princess...?" It took a few seconds for Mark to process through that word. Adding to the fact of why they were brought here, or rather who it was that brought them here to this world, he shot up in realization. "Hey! It's you!"

His action surprised the other three in the room.

"W-What?!" Elise asked.

"Don't 'what' me! It's your fault that we ended up here, isn't it?" Mark accused.

Upon knowing what he meant, Nate quickly said, "Mark, it's not her fault! She did not know how we got here either; it's one of her dad's retainers who brought us here!"

"That's right! Besides, I didn't know how trainers got here or what was really happening to them or the Pokemon..." Elise said, looking down as she recalled what Nate told her earlier.

It was after he managed to escape the area back in the city with Flutter holding his brother. Elise, who followed him with her retainers, quickly helped him out of the city and to her wet-nurse's place, where the two trainers would be safe. At first, Nate was wary of her, since she introduced herself as the youngest princess of Nohr, but after she assured him that she and her retainers were there to help, adding to the fact that he heard reinforcements coming, he and his Butterfree followed them all the way to this lone home away from the city. As soon as they were taken to safety, and made Mark comfortable as he rested from the Sleep Powder, Elise asked Nate the couple of things that had been on her mind ever since a certain incident at the Bottomless Canyon. After being told the truth, and what her father hid from them, it just brought more reason for Elise to help them hide from her father.

"She made sure no one followed us, too. Elise is on our side," Nate said.

Mark crossed his arms in thought. "Hmm... Well, if my brother says so, I guess you're fine. Especially since we're not even being treated as prisoners."

"So you believe me?" Elise asked.

"I trust you a little. You'll have my complete trust if you help us find our parents and help us find a way back to our world." The kids flinched at the condition, in which Mark noticed. "Why'd you guys flinch like that?"

"Well... I don't know how you guys got here exactly... So I can't help you find a way back."

"But you can get our parents out of there, right?"

"With how you kids escaped from King Garon's clutches, I don't think it'll be that easy," Cassita said. "Ever since the loss of his second wife, he's become relentless in everything he does. That said, it won't be easy to even see your parents. And since the truth of you trainers and your magical- sorry, your Pokemon, is suppose to be kept a secret from us, that just makes it even harder. I imagine he already has guards making sure no one enters before you arrive. For you two to escape, he may have doubled the amount."

Mark looked down, gritting his teeth for the woman wasn't wrong. It was tough enough to escape because of all those soldiers stationed in the building he and Nate were in, and their parents had to sacrifice themselves to make sure they escaped. For it to be that hard to get out, getting in would be suicide, figuratively and, most likely, literally.

"I have to go back to the castle soon. Father will get suspicious if I stay out for too long," Elise said. "I'll try and come back as soon as I can to check up on things, and sneak some Pokemon out of the castle while I'm at it. I can't do anything to help your parents, but the least I can do is help the Pokemon our soldiers have on them. I can't say anything much for my siblings, but I'll try to help out however I can."

"You don't really need to go that far, but thanks for helping us out, Elise," Nate thanked.

"It's nothing. Besides, I want to help out anyway. No matter what the reason, enslaving creatures of their own free will is horrible. And I will do my best to help those Pokemon however I can!" Without another word, Elise left.

Cassita and the boys stayed where they were in silence. The wet-nurse knew how Elise can be and could not help but be proud of her. Unlike many in Nohr, she was born and raised to be a positive, cheery, and pure child full of hope, something that Nohr truly needed. Nate was glad that Elise was the only one, out of everyone else he and his brother had met, who was able to actually help them out in some way; hiding them was one thing, but helping them save the captured Pokemon and trainers was a whole other story. He could not help but admire Elise for her big heart. As for Mark, he was still wary of the child, but couldn't help but see a bit of his sister in Elise. If Ali was in her shoes, she'd also do what she could to help the enslaved Pokemon.

' _Makes me hope Ali doesn't get dragged into this world even more..._ ' he thought. If only he knew...

* * *

Meanwhile, deep in the woods not far from them, a lone soul woke. He slowly got up from his makeshift bed, rubbed his head, and looked around.

"Oh god... It wasn't a dream..." he uttered out, upon seeing the resting Salamence nearby. "Where the hell am I...?" The boy spotted a spring nearby and, feeling quite thirsty, went to take a sip.

As he drank, he heard flapping sounds and looked up, seeing a wyvern flying towards his direction. Recalling that he wasn't in the Pokemon world, especially after what happened when he first arrived in this new land, the boy quickly leapt into the spring into hiding.

Once her wyvern landed on the ground, Camilla got off to tend to the unconscious trainer, only to see him missing from the bed she made him. Worried, she looked around the area, in hopes that tracks were left upon his leave.

As she looked around, the missing trainer, forgetting to take a huge breath when he dove, was quickly losing some air and thus was struggling to stay in the water. However, since he didn't know if this person was friend or foe, he had to take his chance and stay in the water if only for a little longer. Thankfully, it was not for long, as Camilla had turned away and got on her wyvern, taking flight away from the area. The second she left was the second he resurfaced, breathing heavily.

"Air! Oh sweet air!" he comically cried in relief. "Oh, I miss you so..."

"You probably wouldn't need to, if you didn't hide," he suddenly heard.

Alarmed, the trainer jumped from his spot and saw the first princess had returned, kneeling down right before him. He sprung out of the water, shocked at how close she was to him, and scuttled to a tree.

"I don't know who you are, or why you're so pretty..." he spoke, quickly seizing a stick, "... but I have a stick, and I know how to use it!" He took a quick glance at the stick... and found it to be too thin to be used for defense, especially with the many dead leaves remaining on it."... Maybe, to fetch or mix kindle in fires, but you get the point!"

Flattered as she was that he was taken to her looks already, as do most men, Camilla stated, "Relax. I am not here to hurt you, if that's what you're thinking. Especially not after you saved me from that dragon there."

He knew she was referring to the Salamence, for his memories from just before he blacked out were slowly coming back to him... and he remembered crashing into the said Dragon Pokemon. "It was more of a lucky shot rather than a rescue, really. Truth be told, I didn't know you were there or in need of help," he said.

"Hm..." Camilla couldn't help but be a bit intrigued with the boy. She had never met any boy as humbled as he was, outside her brothers that is, and quite amusing as well. "Why don't you come closer?"

Upon hearing her request, the boy's face flushed. "Whoa there, I... uh... this is so sudden. Don't I need to buy you dinner or something?"

Camilla found the boy quite amusing, mistaking his misunderstanding for a joke. "Well, I admit you are quite funny."

"'Funny'? I was called attractive, handsome, charismatic, heroic, even regal. Never, has someone described me as 'funny'."

"Well, I admit, the way you saved me back there was quite heroic. A prince, saving a princess from a powerful dragon. Surely does sound like one of the stories I used to read to my little sister Corrin when she was little. In fact, I think I have fallen for you quite hard for that display~" As Camilla said that, she neared the trainer, bending down quite a bit and revealing her... assets.

The boy blushed deeper as she neared, trying to look away from her chest. "I-I-I'm sure you must be feeling... something positive about me," he spoke, trying to be careful with his wordings. "However, I really must uh- um... ask that you please... keep your distance... somewhat?"

"Oh, don't be like that? At the very least, allow me to thank you somehow for what you've done," Camilla insisted. "I'm sure my father will allow you a place amongst the army to join and a Pokemon that fits your brave act."

"Your father? Who's he?"

"Why, King Garon of the kingdom of Nohr of course."

"Nohr? Well, that doesn't sound anything like a city of Sinnoh. Or even a region that I've heard of," the boy said, rubbing the back of his head. Unknown to him, all he did was confirm Camilla's suspicions of him being a Pokemon trainer, or at least not being anywhere from her kingdom or Hoshido.

"I'm very sure you're far from your home. And quite lost as well," Camilla said. "Come with me, and I'm sure you'll have all your questions answered."

As he was considering the option, the resting Salamence was starting to wake. Upon seeing two adversaries before him, one dressed much like the men who were attempting to enslave him and his kin and the other dressed like his trainer, he got up with a loud roar, grabbing their attention. Before any of them can react, the Salamence jumped to the boy's side, glaring at the first princess intimidatingly, as he growled in warning.

Upon seeing the hostility the Pokemon was showing to her rider, Camilla's wyvern hurried to her side and roared at the Salamence. The Dragon Pokemon roared back, twice as ferocious as the wyvern. Adding on his Intimidate ability, and the flying, scaly mount backed away like a frightened pup.

"Whoa, whoa, there!" the boy said to the Pokemon. "What is up with you?"

The Salamence raised his wings to block him and push him back, as well as blocking Camilla's view of the trainer.

Assuming the Pokemon to be attacking him as revenge for earlier, Camilla took out her axe. "Stay away from that boy!" she shouted, charging at the dragon. She raised her weapon to slash it, only for the boy to slip past the fully evolved Pokemon and tackle her down.

As he got up, the boy then quickly disarmed the first princess and turned back to his supposed 'protector', and quickly stopped him from attempting to attack Camilla. "Hey, hey, hey! It's okay! It's okay..." he called. "She's okay..." Though he succeeded in calming him down, somewhat, the Salamence was still giving ugly looks to Camilla. The trainer noticed those looks and the act of hostility and turned to the princess. "I think you're scaring him or something."

"Scaring him? He's the one attacking first," she said. "Amazing as it is that you managed to tame that rogue Pokemon-"

"Rogue? This guy? He's just protecting me. Least that's what it looks like," the trainer interrupted, as Salamence attempted to move the human behind him. "Which now brings up the question of why he wants to protect me from you. Did you do something to him or something?"

"I never met his specific kind until earlier today. I wouldn't know what sort of grudge he has against me."

The boy could tell that Camilla was telling the truth, but he also knew that Pokemon would never act out on anything without a good reason. Unless if they're tricksters of Pokemon that is.

"Well, maybe it's not you specifically, but it's obvious enough he went through some bad time here. And if you're calling him rogue, that would indicate that you had him locked up somewhere and pretend to be obedient. Sorry, but if that's the case, then I can't go along with you."

Camilla was shocked to hear that. "You'd believe a rogue beast over me?" she asked.

"Calling him a beast just gave me more reason not to go with you. He's a Pokemon, and they're all intelligent creatures. They'd never do anything out of treason, unless if it's in their specific blood like a Zangoose to a Seviper." The princess was speechless at his reason for choosing the Salamence. "It's not you, miss, if that's what you're thinking. But something must've happened where he was held that gave some bad omen. And as a trainer who loves and cares for his own Pokemon, I'd rather stay out here in these dangerous woods than go where it might be safe for me only. You're free to believe what you want, but you can't make me go with you."

As much as Camilla didn't want to admit it, he had a point, especially after a certain incident back at the Bottomless Canyon. Riana also fought for the Hydreigon, even though it went rogue. At least, she and her siblings thought it went rogue, until the Alolan Champion managed to easily calm it down. All of this was really making her wonder about the truth behind the trainers who arrived on their land and their Pokemon partners.

Just then, they heard rustling in the woods. The small group turned and saw a small group of Faceless approaching them. Seeing them for the first time, the trainer was shocked at the sight of big, green, muscular and masked creatures. "What the-?! What are those?!"

"They're Faceless," Camilla calmly answered. "Don't worry. I'm sure there's a mage nearby. These things would never attack the first princess of Nohr. Not unless if their master wishes for death, that is." The trainer felt a chill go through his spine at the last part. To the horde, Camilla shouted, "I am the First Princess of Nohr, Princess Camilla. I order you, mage, to have your Faceless step down this instance and reveal yourself!"

' _Wait, she's a legit princess?!_ ' the trainer thought in shock. He thought she was just playing with him when she introduced herself as such the first time; it didn't come to his mind that she was the real deal. Not like anyone could blame him, when she was not really dressed like a normal princess would.

Rather than obeying the command, the Faceless all charged at Camilla and the boy, to their shock. The first princess quickly recovered and swung her axe at them, easily taking them down.

"Whoa! Hey, I thought you're the princess of this kingdom!" he said.

"I am!" she said. Turning back to the horde, she demanded, "What is the meaning of this?! Come out and show yourself!"

Unfortunately, the only response she got was more Faceless coming at her. Before she could raise her weapon to defend herself, though, the trainer got in her way, taking out a Pokeball in the process. "I choose you!" he shouted, tossing it at the group.

Popping out of the ball was a light green, bipedal Pokemon with an appearance that incorporates features of roses and masquerade attire. It has white rose petals of hair and a long leafy, green cape with a yellow bangle on its neck. It also has on a dark-green mask over its red, yellow-lidded eyes. Both its hands were bouquets; its right being red, and its left being blue.

"Roserade, use Weather Ball!" he called out. His Bouquet Pokemon raised her arms up, creating a white ball of energy, and fired it at the center of the group of Faceless. Once the ball hit the ground, a powerful force was unleashed, creating a powerful shockwave that blew the Faceless away and even teared them apart.

Seeing the result of the attack shocked even the trainer himself. ' _Yikes! Did this world power up Pokemon power or something? I don't remember Weather Ball being this effective!_ ' he thought.

Camilla was not just shocked at what the attack had done; she grew more convinced that this boy was of the same world as the trainers before him. Just to be sure, she asked, "Who are you and where did you come from?"

Already having enough with all the crazy that happened to him since he woke, the male trainer returned his Pokemon back in her ball, pinched the bridge of his nose and answered, "Please, no twenty questions... As fun as it was to meet you and all, I've kind of had enough of all this crazy for one day. Like I said, I won't go with you to your father, but I do hope we see each other soon." As he said that, he faced one random direction. "For who I am, though, name's Kale. See you around."

Camilla noticed where he was going. "Ah. You're going towards-" Her warning was too late, as the guy fell off the edge of a cliff with a scream, hidden by the bushes. Horrified and worried, Camilla, her wyvern, and the Salamence rushed to the edge and looked down. Good news, the cliff was not as high as they thought. Bad news, Kale fell flat on his face and showed no sign of movement.

"... I am... okay..." he called, giving a thumbs up.

Amused by his actions even more, the first princess got up from her spot and turned to the Salamence. The Dragon Pokemon seemed to still be wary of her, as it took several steps away from her. Recalling what Kale had said, about there always being a reason for how a Pokemon act, Camilla knew she wasn't going to get anywhere if she tried to take it in by force. Instead, she just gave it a small smile and simple said, "Go."

Taking that as a signal, Salamence took flight and flew away from the area. Once it left, Camilla reached to her waist, and plucked a Pokeball off her person. She looked down at the ball, thinking about the Pokemon inside of it, wondering if the Pokemon was happy being with her. Now that she thought about it, she never met the Pokemon assigned to her yet. Even though Camilla has yet to see the Pokemon, she could already tell from Salamence's actions alone, as well as the pair of runaway trainers, that this Pokemon she has must've suffered a lot before being with her. One way or another, she was going to make it right.

But first, Camilla looked back to the horde of Faceless. She approached the completely dead horde and looked around. Usually there would be a mage around to give them orders of sort. However, no matter where she looked, even with her wyvern helping out by trying to sniff out the hidden adversary, there was nothing around that hinted one other soul nearby. Not even crushed grass or a footprint of sort was seen. This made her narrow down to two options.

' _Either these Faceless had gone feral due to an inexperienced summoner, or they all came from the castle, with the order of bringing Kale in,_ ' she assumed. Just the thought of the latter choice was really making her wonder about her father's decision. That is... if it was even her father who was making them.


	18. Wanderer

**Here's another chapter of Pokemon Emblem: A Trainer's Fate!** **I wanted to bring this chapter up some time yesterday, but I was out for most of the afternoon, celebrating my birthday with my parents. Yeah... hit 21 full adulthood. Doesn't mean I will start drinking and like it, though. And when I came back, again, I wanted to finish this chapter and have it up, but unfortunately a storm came up, lightning struck, and wifi was down, so I couldn't have saved my progress on this story if I wanted to. At least not at the risk of losing everything I had up and in here. So yeah... what a night... I'm only glad my family did the celebration in the afternoon.**

 **So! On another note, we be seeing another new character making their appearance in this story! I don't just mean a certain kid- excuse me, 'adult'. Yes, you hear right; there will be yet another OC trainer joining Corrin's group! Only this trainer is not like the other trainers we've seen so far. How different is she? Well... You will soon find out!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Fire Emblem of any kind for either of them. I do own my OC. Adrian is owned by Antex- The Legendary Zoroark. Ali(cia), Mark and Nate are owned by kitsunelover300. Kale is owned by Insane Dominator. New character owned by Pink Lightspeed Ranger.**

* * *

"Normal people talking"

' _Thoughts_ '

" _ **Z-MOVE!**_ "

" _ **Dragon-type Pokemon talking**_ " Only from Corrin's perspective

" _Pokemon talking_ "

* * *

Now that they were out of the Astral Planes, it was off to Izumo for Corrin and her group. The quickest and safest way there was going up the Eternal Staircase... which clearly lived up to its name.

"By the gods... how many steps are there?" Corrin panted, for they had been walking up the steps for hours, or what felt like such at least. Rocky was on her head, exhausted from walking up the steps half an hour ago.

"I don't know..." Azura answered, just as tired as she had Blue on her shoulder. "However, using the Eternal Stairway is the quickest way to our destination."

"Azura, you said that we're heading to Izumo, right?" Sakura asked, riding on Subaki's pegasus at her retainers' insistence.

"Yes. It's our best chance of avoiding conflict with Hoshidan forces. Izumo has declared neutrality and won't allow fighting of any kind on their land."

"Shall we take a quick break...? I feel like my feet will fall off if we walk any more..." Mozu asked, kneeling down on the steps. Muddy lowered his head and nudged her face in worry.

"We have been walking up for quite a while now," Gunter agreed.

"True. However..." Jakob trailed off, his eyebrow twitching in slight annoyance. It wasn't because they were going to stop at the villager's insistence and not one of the princesses', especially Corrin's; he was just as tired and will be relieved to hear they will be taking a break. What he was annoyed about was...

"Hey! What's wrong guys?!" Riana called ahead of them. Far ahead, with Ali, Fira and Adrian with her.

"I want to know how the hell those three are not feeling at all exhausted from walking up these steps for so long! And they're way ahead of us too!" the butler shouted.

The rest of the army was just as baffled at this. The Pokemon trainers were not trained fighters like they were, they clearly started off at the same pace, and even though Riana had trained with her Pokemon team, it still does not explain how they were ahead of them and not look exhausted.

"If you don't pick up the pace, we'll get to the exit before you guys!" Adrian shouted.

"Come on, guys! Pick up that pace!" Ali told them all.

"Eevee vee!" Fira shouted.

' _Where did they get all that stamina from?!_ ' majority of the group mentally questioned.

"W-We're just going to take a bit of a break!" Azura called to them. "You three... Go on ahead! We'll catch up!"

"You sure? We can wait a bit for you guys to catch up!" Ali asked.

"Yes! Go!" At her insistence, the trio of confused trainers and an Eevee continued up the steps.

"They're not much fighters, but they have this much stamina? Pokemon trainers sure are strange in their own way," Hana stated. As she said that, the area around them was getting quite foggy.

Sakura noticed the fog thickening. "Hey... Is it just me or is the fog g-getting thicker?" Next they knew, Faceless suddenly appeared before them. "Eeeeek! It's the Faceless!"

Kaze jumped between her and the monstrosity before them. "Stay back, Lady Sakura!" He, Corrin, and Gunter then proceeded to attack the Faceless, cutting each and every one of them down.

However, it was after they defeated the Faceless, they were met with horrifying sight. "What?! Everyone, hold your attacks! The enemies we defeated...aren't Faceless! They're human!"

Indeed, as the princess and leader said, lying on the ground where the Faceless were were human bodies instead.

Azura recognized the humans lying in front of them. "Oh no, it can't be... These are members of the Wind Tribe," she said.

"It can't be... I don't understand. Was this a trap? A trick of some kind?" Corrin asked.

Everyone was just as troubled with this. "Corrin... What should we do?" Azura asked.

"... Let's head to the Wind Tribe's village. We need to explain what happened."

Everyone else nodded in agreement and continued up the steps.

* * *

Meanwhile, with the Pokemon trainers, the oblivious trio and Fira had already arrived out of the Eternal Staircase, basking themselves in the sunlight.

"We're finally out of there," Riana said as she stretched her arms out.

"Pretty windy out here, though," Adrian stated. "Kind of feels like we're in a desert."

"Would feel a little more like one if a Pokemon pops out of the sand. Like a Sandshrew or a Sandile," Ali said.

"Well, Pokemon have been sighted around this world. I wouldn't be surprised if there is one of those around these parts," Riana pointed out. "Other than that, I wonder if Izumo is somewhere nearby. It'd be easier to tell if there was a guide out here or something."

Fira saw something at a distance and barked for their attention. They turned to the Eevee and saw her pointing to a small village not too far from where they were.

"A village is a good place to start," Adrian said. The girls nodded in agreement at the idea.

"Hey! You there!" they heard. Next the group of four knew, they were surrounded by a small group of people, consisting of a ninja, a samurai, and an oni savage. "Who are you?! Are you with those mongrels who attacked our friends?!" the samurai demanded.

"W-Wait, attacked?! We're just passing through!" Ali said. "We're on our way to Izumo."

The three men surrounding them looked at each other then back to the trainers. "Is anyone else with you?" the ninja asked.

"Just our friends. They're kind of far behind us, but they'll catch up," Riana answered.

At that answer, they narrowed their eyes at the foreigners. "You must think of us as some fools, then!" the oni savage exclaimed, much to their confusion. "You claim you're not with those monsters who beat our friends black and blue, and yet you just said you're with those very same people. Do we look like idiots to you?!"

Hearing that shocked them. "Wait, what are you talking about?! Corrin and the others wouldn't-"

"No more talk! You think you can have your friends attack people and have no repercussions? Think again! If you disarmed value your lives, you will be silent!" the samurai said, as he and his friends approached the trainers.

Not wanting any harm to come to her friend, Fira acted fast and tackled into the oni savage with a good Quick Attack. While the attack did hurt him, however, the guy stood his ground and managed to push Fira off him.

"Damn animal!" he cursed, raising his club at the Normal-type.

"Fira, get away with Dig!" Ali called out.

The oni savage swung his weapon down at Fira, bringing up a cloud of sand upon impact, much to the trainers' worries. Once the cloud cleared up, they saw the Pokemon had vanished.

"What the-?! Where did it go?!" he demanded.

"Leave that pest," the ninja told him. "It's just one small creature. For now, we bring these barbarians to our chieftain."

As they were being taken as hostages, Riana, Adrian and Ali wondered exactly what happened back in the cave that led them to this situation.

* * *

Minutes after the three trainers were taken away, Corrin and the others made it out of the cave. "So... This is the Wind Tribe?" she asked.

Sakura looked around and noticed the trainers were missing. "Where are Riana and the others?"

Everyone else looked around and saw the foreigners were nowhere to be seen.

"Don't tell me they just wandered off," Jakob said.

"It wouldn't sound like Riana and Adrian to do that. Adrian, maybe, but not Riana," Azura said.

Gunter looked down and noticed something in the sand. "What's this?" he asked, kneeling down. Everyone else turned to him and saw what seemed like a ripple going on in the sand. Next they knew, something jumped out of the sand and latched onto Gunter's face, much to their surprise.

"Eevee! Eevee vee! Eevee!" Fira frantically barked, relieved to finally be out of the sand trap she unbelievable dug herself in.

"Fira?!" Azura gasped, holding the panicked Eevee in her arms.

"What was she doing in the sand?" Subaki asked.

"I'm surprised she is even alive. She looks like she was under there for more than minutes," Sakura said, checking the poor thing's condition.

"Fira, what happened?" Corrin asked the Pokemon.

Fira leapt out of Azura's arms and started barking at the group of humans, trying to explain to them what happened while they were gone, even doing some charades because she knew they couldn't understand her. Unfortunately, it was all futile, for none of them had a single idea what the Eevee was saying.

"... Did anyone get any of that?" Hana asked. They all shook their head in response.

Frustrated that she wasn't getting through to them and extremely worried for her trainer, Fira climbed up to Jakob's head and forcibly turned him to the village the trainers were taken to, to the other's confusion and the butler's annoyance.

"Hey! Watch it!" he said.

"Eevee! Eevee vee!" Fira pointed at the village.

Watching the Evolution Pokemon pointing at that village with a worried expression brought worries to them as well.

"Something tells me the Wind Tribe already caught wind of what happened back there..." Azura grimaced.

"If that's true, and they know Riana and the others are with us..." Sakura trailed off.

"We have to help them!" Corrin said. With that, the group rushed over to the village.

* * *

In the Wind Tribe Village, Riana, Adrian and Ali sat in what seemed like a plaza, still bound by ropes. Standing before them was a tall, muscular man, with a child by his side.

"Can we assume you are the leader here?" the long male trainer asked.

"You are correct. I am called Fuga. News of your arrival got here ahead of you. News of what you intend, too. You side with neither Nohr nor Hoshido but instead wish to destroy both kingdoms. And you decided to begin with the Wind Tribe by attacking our brethren," Fuga, leader of the Wind Tribe, accused. "Bad enough you can control magical creatures, but to use them to destroy and conquer kingdoms instead of helping those in need..."

"Hey, wait a second! Where are these ideas coming from?" Riana stopped him. "We aren't planning to destroy kingdoms, at all. We are only seeking out allies to defeat the k- uh, that is the real enemy. And as much as we want to say who, unfortunately, we do that, we will die."

"An unknown enemy? Has fear of death driven you mad? Don't think you can gain advantage by confusing me with your ramblings. Only a fool would accept your explanation, and I am no fool. Eliminate these invaders immediately! Set an example to their friends who will no doubt arrive here soon enough!" At Fuga's orders, some samurais unsheathed their swords and approached the trainers.

"That Eevee of yours better have made it to the others, or I will haunt you for the rest of our dead lives," Adrian muttered to Ali.

"I'm pretty sure death doesn't work that way," Riana said in a slightly panicked note.

"Not unless if we become Ghost-type Pokemon. And I really do hope that myth is true," Ali pointed out, just as frightened.

The samurais were behind the trio, their blades raised.

"Wait! Please stop!" came a voice. Everyone in the village and the trainers looked towards the source and saw Corrin and the others rushing to the plaza.

"Guys!" Riana called in relief.

"So the leader and her group finally arrives. Good. Just in time to see the price for hurting one of our own," Fuga said.

"Wait please! That's all a misunderstanding!" Corrin cried out. "It's true we attacked your people, but it's not what it looks like! We thought they were Faceless!"

"Oh, so those against you are Faceless in your eyes. I thought you were dishonorable enough for going against your own home, but to make up such a lie? You're even less of a warrior! And now it is time for your soldiers to pay the price for your action!" As Fuga said that, the trainers' executioners raised their blades in preparation for their demise.

"You guys!" Corrin cried out, only to sadly be blocked by Fuga's men, as were her friends and their Pokemon.

With no one to stop them, one samurai brought his blade down on Riana. The girl could only watch wide-eyes as her demise slowly approached.

"Chieftain! Stop!"

Suddenly, a voice cried out, and metal clashed with metal, as a club got in between the blade and Riana's neck, saving the girl from death. Following the clash was a pair of fiery fists colliding with the other two executioners, knocking them away from Ali and Adrian and unconscious.

"Rinkah?! What are you doing here? And... is that red ape a Pokemon?!" Corrin asked in shock.

Indeed, saving the trainers was the daughter of the Flame Tribe's chieftain, and beside her was a red, squat ape-like Pokemon with long, bushy flame eyebrows, giving a large smirk that revealed its spiked teeth.

"I've been searching for you," Rinkah told the princess. "Your departure has thrown both Nohr and Hoshido into chaos. Rumors are spreading that you plan to attack and destroy both kingdoms. I know that's not the type of person you are; I believe in you!"

To hear the amount of trust this girl had in her touched the princess's heart so. "Rinkah... thank you. Honestly. I needed to hear that. And who's your friend?"

"Call him a symbol of my tribe. And a friend."

Fuga scoffed at the action. "The Flame Chieftain's daughter now protects this dangerous woman. Why?" he questioned.

"Because I owe her a debt," Rinkah answered. "She saved my life. You can't kill her or anyone from her group for a misunderstanding. And definitely not because of false rumors. I know Corrin, and I know that she is not the type to callously attack others. My father, if he was here, would at least listen to what Corrin had to say. Only barbarians scream for death rather than justice!"

"Darmanitan!" the Pokemon with her shouted in agreement.

"Ho, I expected such fiery spirit!" Fuga stated. "So you're saying I should believe her. Despite all I've heard about her intentions. You should be careful. Speaking without thinking about what you are saying."

"I have thought on it. On behalf of the Flame Tribe, I vouch for this woman," Rinkah strongly said.

"Interesting... You really think that highly of her? Very well! Then you shall all have to prove your worth in the only way that matters." Next they knew, ninjas suddenly appeared and took the trainers away.

"Riana!" Corrin cried in worry.

"Adrian! Ali!" Azura followed, just as worried.

"Fight me, fair and square, and show me the strength of your character! Defeat me with your own strength, without tricks or coward's tactics!" Fuga declared. "And don't worry about your friends. They'll live... until you're beaten!"

Rinkah clicked her tongue at that. "What a hypocrite... Looks like we're in for it, Corrin! Blazerilla here and I'll fight by your side. Let's show him the best we've got!"

"All right! Thank you, Rinkah! If winning is what it'll take to convince him and save our friends, then I'm ready to fight! Everyone, prepare for battle!" Corrin ordered.

The others let out cries in agreement.

* * *

And so, the group found themselves on what seemed like a battlefield of bridges, with some strong wind brewing along the field, almost threatening to drag some of them off their feet and to who-knows-where.

While Corrin and friends were doing what they can to get to the trainers and/or Fuga, fighting against the enemy and the strong wind, the trio of otherworldly foreigners were set in different areas of the field, each with some 'bodyguards' nearby.

"If this is some joke, I don't see myself laughing at all," Adrian said, for one of the very few guards stationed to his side was a boy about Sakura's age.

"Shut up! You'll regret underestimating me!" the boy said.

"Please. You can't be telling me that kids are super powerful in this world. You best get out of here while you still can, kid. This is not a place for little boys your age."

With each word coming out of his mouth, the boy was getting even more and more annoyed with the person he was tasked to look after. "I'm not a kid! I'm Hayato and I am 100% an adult!"

Adrian was unconvinced, especially by Hayato's attitude. "Sure. Whatever you say there, kid."

"I said I am not!" Hayato shouted. Looking away with a scoff, he then muttered, "Why do I have to be on babysitting business? My skills are more useful helping in taking out the enemy."

Adrian can't help but let out a chuckle, in which Hayato noticed. "What are you laughing for?"

"I just find it cute. You guys really think you have us trainers trapped," he answered.

Next thing the boys knew, a pair of explosions occurred in two other areas. Hayato noticed that the two areas where the explosions occurred were where the pair of female trainers were.

"What the-?!" he gasped out. How was this possible? Did the enemy sneak a pair of ninjas past them? No, that couldn't be possible. From what he can see, the enemy, both human and Pokemon, were still quite far from their targets. So how...?

"You'd think a lot of people would know about trainers and Pokemon by now," Adrian spoke. "But as it turns out, not many know everything about us just yet. Otherwise, your guys would've checked us before taking us away like this."

Hayato turned to him and was shocked to see a big, white and red mongoose/cat mix Pokemon standing by Adrian, who was free from his binds.

"No hard feelings kid, but you and your tribe needs to pay for almost killing us on false accusation," the male trainer said. "Use Crush Claws!"

Scar did as ordered and rushed at Hayato with his glowing claws. The boy tried to block the Pokemon by summoning out a spirit, but was a second too slow, as the Zangoose already struck him down.

"Now then... Let's meet up with the others and head to the leader," Adrian said, in which Scar nodded in agreement.

As they left, Hayato slowly and painfully got back up. "Ow... I thought _she_ was the only real trainer..." he muttered out.

* * *

With Riana, she had her Incineroar out and beating down each tribalist who tried to stop them in anyway they could.

"I really hope they don't go for our heads again after this," she muttered out.

Her Heel Pokemon, on the other hand, was having a blast, fighting against so many opponents at once. Well, that would be a lie, actually, for these guys were pretty weak to him if he was able to singlehandedly take down a handful of them at a time.

As he took down a handful more of the soldiers, Incineroar sensed something approaching... straight for his trainer. He quickly turned and rushed to his partner's side, taking the hit that was intended for her.

Surprised, Riana turned and saw what seemed like a Midday Lycanroc biting down on her Pokemon's arm. "A Pokemon?! Or is it an animal here?"

The wolf released its hold on Incineroar and moved some distance back, growling lowly at them. A Pokeball was then dropped from it, which opened up and released the Pokemon inside.

It was a blue and black canine-like Pokemon with yellow fur all over his torso. It had a white spike sticking out of its chest and on the back of its hands/paws, a blue tail, and four black appendages on its head.

"Okay, now that is a Pokemon. And a Lucario at that," Riana identified.

The wolf barked up some orders to the Lucario, who nodded and went to engage in combat with Incineroar, to the Heel Pokemon and his trainer's surprise.

"Incineroar!" Riana cried out. She looked back and saw the wolf coming at her again. The female trainer quickly moved out of the way from its attack, tumbling down to the floor. However, the beast was not going to let her recover, as it came back around.

Riana hastily grabbed a spear one of the tribalist dropped and held it up to defend herself from the wolf's bite. The claws, on the other hand, were digging into her skin, drawing up some blood. Gritting her teeth to endure the pain, the trainer pushed the wolf off her and brought the spear up to defend herself. The wolf doubled back to her, and the Alolan Champion used the blunt side of the spear to knock the wolf back. She didn't have much experience in combat, but she did know how to protect herself, especially back when she used to tumble with wild Pokemon back as a child.

* * *

With Ali, she was rushing past the enemies with a purple two-starfish Pokemon by her side. The Pokemon she had out was blowing enemies away one after another without so much as to lift an appendage.

"Come on, Cosmo! Keep them away!" Ali told her Pokemon, as more nearby enemies somehow got pushed away from the pair.

"How the hell are our guys getting pushed away like that?!" a tribalist asked.

"It has to be that creature with her! There's no way she could've done that!" another tribalist said.

"So you mean... she's like her?!" another asked. "We can't fight these guys when they have those creatures with them!"

"Retreat! We need to inform the chief, immediately!" At that order, the tribalists all ran away from Ali.

Though confused with the sudden order, the female trainer continued on to where her friends were. And thanks to the strong wind, it took her seconds to get to one of them.

Upon meeting up with Riana, she saw the girl defending herself from the wolf.

"Cosmo! Use your Ice Beam!" Ali called.

At her command, the Starmie fired its Ice-type move at the wolf. Sadly, the beast leapt off Riana at the last second, thus caused her to be the target of the attack instead. As a result, she was frozen in ice. Seeing the girl in such a state, caused by her Pokemon, Ali panicked.

"Ah! Riana!" she cried out.

Unfortunately for her, that wasn't enough to get the wolf to cease its attack, as it changed its target to Ali. Cosmo noticed this and used Psychic to push the wolf away. The beast managed to land on her feet, and another Pokeball dropped from it, to Ali's surprise and confusion. Next she knew, it opened up, and a blue, humanoid frog-like Pokemon with long pink tongue acting as a scarf appeared.

"A Greninja?!" Ali gasped in shock.

The wolf barked out some orders at Greninja, in which he followed through, as he charged at Cosmo.

"Use Thunderbolt!" At its trainer's command, the Starmie unleashed its Electric-type move at the Ninja Pokemon.

Greninja countered this by forming shurikens made of water and tossing them all at the Thunderbolt. The two moves collided and created an explosion of sort throughout the area.

Ali covered her face once the explosion occurred and tried to see through the smoke. Unfortunately, she couldn't see a thing. She did, however, hear a growl. She may not be able to see where the enemy was, but the same couldn't be said for the wolf. Especially not when it has a nose sharp enough to sniff out where she was. A shadow slowly creeped up on the unknowing girl, and pounced on her. Luckily for Ali, she was tackled down by one other adversary, thus was saved from being mauled.

Ali looked at the person who tackled her down and saw that it wasn't a person who saved her, but Fira.

"Fira!" she gasped in relief.

"Eevee vee!" Fira barked, just as relieved to find her trainer safe.

A whimper of sort was then heard, interrupting the reunion. Ali and Fira looked and saw the wolf rubbing its nose with its paw. Only... Something was quite off about the wolf. "Ugh... Man, that hurts..."

Once the smoke cleared, to the trainer and Eevee's shock, where the wolf was was a person. It was a girl around the trainers' age, with short brown hair and blue eyes wearing blue pants, red shirt, and a ring on her left and right wrist.

"I have to say, you and your Pokemon there have some reflexes," the wolf-girl said. "But, a miracle like that can only happen once. Especially to fools who think they can attack whoever they want."

"Hold up! Assuming you were that wolf just now, you were the one who attacked me and my friend!" Ali retorted.

"True, but it was you and your friends who attacked our people first," the girl pointed out. "Don't even try to lie your way out of it."

"Look here, there has to be a misunderstanding of some kind! Corrin and the others would never hurt anyone without a sound reason!"

"Still trying to lie your way out of this... Regardless, I refuse to let you do as you please to these kind people who took me in when I arrived in your strange world."

That last part got Ali's attention. "Wait... You're an actual Pokemon trainer?"

Rather than answering, the girl said, "Sakura. Use Aerial Ace." At that simple order, her Greninja charged and landed an axe kick at Cosmo. The attack was so strong, it knocked the Starmie down and out.

"Cosmo!" Ali cried in shock.

"You and that Eevee are next," the wolf girl said. "Sakura. Use-" Before she could finish her command, she sensed something coming from behind her and quickly ducked, having that something fly past her. Looking up, she was surprised to find the Pokemon she let out earlier get knocked unconscious. "What?!" She looked behind her and saw the Incineroar, weakened but active, freeing his trainer from her icy prison with a good, light Flamethrower.

"Ohhhh... Thank you..." the Alolan trainer thanked, rubbing her arms for warmth. She may have experienced colder Ice-type moves, and she may be used to the cold climate of Mount Lanakila, but that didn't mean she was immune to the cold temperature.

The wolf girl narrowed her eyes, finding the enemies to be stronger than she had previously thought. "This is not good..." she muttered, returning her downed Pokemon back to its Pokeball.

* * *

Meanwhile, with Corrin, while the rest of her group went off and took down the tribalists left and right, one after another, she and Rocky were facing off against Fuga.

"Through this test of strength, I will find out where the truth lies!" he claimed.

Corrin gritted her teeth, knowing full well that this won't be an easy fight for her or Rocky at all. But as this was the only way to get through to him, what choice did she have?

She started off with a charge and a slash, in which Fuga avoided. What he failed to realize, however, was that she was the distraction, as Rocky came from behind his princess with a good Fire Fang attack. Fuga managed to raise his weapon to block the fiery attack in time, but like the first strike, this was also a feint, as Corrin struck him with the back side of her Yato.

Though the guy was taken aback by this team attack, it wasn't enough to defeat him, as he grabbed his Iron Club from his person and performed a good spin attack, knocking Rocky and Corrin back. He then swapped his weapon out for his naginata and charged at the princess.

Corrin recovered in time to parry away each of his strikes. However, due to weapon advantage and difference in strengths, Fuga overpowered the poor girl and disarmed her, tossing her weapon far away from her.

"Now what will you do without your blade, traitor?" the chieftain questioned her, as he went for an attack himself.

If there was one mistake he made, it was thinking that Corrin can only fight with a sword. The princess reached to her dragonstone she had hidden on her and transformed into a dragon, stopping the blade.

To say Fuga was surprised would be an understatement. "What?!" he gasped. Next he knew, Corrin tossed the guy over her head and forcibly removed his lance from his hands, tossing it aside.

"Rocky!" At her beckon and call, her Rockruff ran up her back and jumped high into the air, firing a series of Rock Throw at the chieftain.

Fuga was not going to back down, though. With his iron sword in hand, he cut, blocked, or deflected each rock shot his way without so much as to break a sweat. Once the series of attack was over, he saw Rocky still in the air... but no Corrin in front of him. Turning around, he found the girl had taken advantage of the Rock Throw to hurry back to Yato. Once she reclaimed her sword, she turned back to Fuga once more.

Seeing this amused the man. "Oh? Interesting." He charged at Corrin once more with his sword, who charged back at him. The pair clashed blades with one another, but Fuga was the stronger of the two. If it wasn't for Rocky's assistance, though, Corrin would've lost to him by now, or worse.

It took some time, but the pair finally managed to defeat the chieftain. "Hmm... Well done. I can see now that I was wrong about you," he said.

Upon seeing Fuga's defeat, it didn't take long for the rest of the tribe to surrender, including the wolf girl. Once they saw that the battle was over, the trainers regrouped with their friends.

"Riana! Adrian! Ali! Are you guys okay?" Corrin asked the trio.

"Yeah, we are," Ali answered.

"Just next time, don't pick a fight with a group that is willing to kill us on the spot, even if it is by accident," Adrian scolded.

The fighters all sweatdropped at this, knowing full well that is was technically their fault that they had to fight in the first place.

Corrin then turned to Fuga. "Will you listen to us now? I am truly sorry that we attacked people form your tribe. We were deceived, and we came here to offer our apologies and an explanation," she told him.

"I understand, Corrin," he said. "I could sense no ill intent in you as we fought. You have a pure heart and a warrior's spirit. I promise to explain the situation to the rest of my tribe. You should not worry."

Corrin was relieved to hear that. "Thank you, Chieftain Fuga."

The man sighed at her gratitude. "You remind me of Sumeragi. He would rejoice at seeing you now. You would definitely make him proud."

Hearing that surprised Corrin and the others. "Excuse me? You knew my father?"

"Oh yes. King Sumeragi was a dear friend. We often fought side by side in our younger days. We were brothers in battle. Those days are long past now... You fought well today. I can see why you deserve to wield the Yato. And yes, I know of that blade. Sumeragi once spoke of it to me."

"What did he say?" Riana asked.

"Listen carefully... The Yato is the key to the Seal of Flames. The Seal of Flames contains limitless power... It is said that it is a weapon capable even of destroying the gods that made it."

"It has the power to topple a god?!" Corrin gasped. "Then... perhaps it could be used to..."

"Yes... We have a glimmer of hope now," Azura said.

"Izana, from Izumo, should be more familiar with the legends," Fuga informed. "I suggest you seek him out and ask about the Seal of Flames. Our tribe will also provide aid for your trip. I believe the best choice would be..."

"Me," came a voice. Everyone turned and saw the wolf girl Ali, Riana and their Pokemon fought approaching them.

"You?!" Ali gasped.

"I thought it was all just a ruse as we fought, but you three..." She pointed at the three trainers. "You're real Pokemon trainers, aren't you?"

"And if we are?" Adrian asked.

"Let me come with you. I don't know about you guys, but I want to go back to my home world. If going with you guys mean having a better chance at finding even a small clue of a way back home, I'll take it."

"Let me come along as well," came Hayato's voice, as he joined them.

"You again, kid?" Adrian questioned.

"I'm not a child; I'm a grown man!" Hayato retorted. "Chieftain, I humbly request this honor from you. You have no objections?"

"No, of course not. Your magical talents will help, Hayato. I'm sure you'll be a great asset to Corrin. Just promise me you'll be careful. You as well, Misaki," Fuga said.

"Of course," the wolf girl, Misaki, nodded.

"So, Corrin, you should be grateful I am going to aid you in your endeavor," Hayato boasted.

"I am. Thank you. We're glad to have you both," Corrin thanked.

"You can depend on me."

"Sure... We can depend on a small child to do some small stuff, like taking care of some small Pokemon," Adrian said.

Those words only served to annoy the not-kid. "I told you, I'm not a child!" he shouted.

"All right, everyone. We're off to Izumo. We might be able to learn more about the Seal of Flames," Corrin told them, ending the small argument.


	19. Special: The Wolf in Another World

**Sorry for the wait, everyone! Here is another chapter of Pokemon Emblem: A Trainer's Fate! Sadly, it is not a followup to the Wanderer chapter. However! It is a Special Chapter as to how Misaki ended up in the world of Fates! So! How did our wolfie trainer end up in this other world? Read this chapter to find out!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Fire Emblem of any kind for either of them. I do own my OC. Adrian is owned by Antex- The Legendary Zoroark. Ali(cia), Mark and Nate are owned by kitsunelover300. Kale is owned by Insane Dominator. Misaki is owned by Pink Lightspeed Ranger.**

* * *

"Normal people talking"

' _Thoughts_ '

" _ **Z-MOVE!**_ "

" _ **Dragon-type Pokemon talking**_ " Only from Corrin's perspective

" _Pokemon talking_ "

" _Misaki talking in wolf form_ "

* * *

It was a peaceful evening in the Unova Region. In one of the many forests there, a set of figures dashed into the night. Where they were heading down the path they took, there was a lack of people and Pokemon, thus made it a perfect spot for them to gather.

"All right, everyone! Line up!" one of them shouted.

Each of the shadowy figures formed a line in front of their leader, all standing in attention. As the clouds parted and allowed moonlight to shine down, the light revealed all the figures to be wolves.

"As I am sure you all have heard, lately there has been cases of missing trainers occurring in many regions, as well as Pokemon going missing. Today, my son has a report on these such cases," the alpha wolf spoke.

One of the wolves, the alpha's son, stepped up as the leader said that, giving his report. "The other day, I went to the Pokemon Day Care in my human form. Not only did a few Pokemon just disappear without a trace, but a couple of Pokemon eggs went missing as well. If this was a case of thievery, it may not be that big of a deal. However, there was nothing that indicated such an act to occur. No clues on the doors or windows, and certainly no scent of a human breaking in there recently. I even tried to sniff out the missing Pokemon's scent, only to have found no lead on them at all."

The news brought concerns to the wolves in the pack, as they worriedly whispered amongst themselves.

"This is not the first time it happened either, nor is that Day Care the only place that such an act had occurred. In fact, it's been happening for weeks now, and no one in any region has been able to figure out the cause for such an act. Not only that, but when these such trainers returned, they looked like they had gone through the many tortures of hell. Doctors and scientists have been working together to figure out how these trainers disappeared and to where they had gone to, but unfortunately whatever put them in that state made it impossible to get any sort of information out of them. And to make things worse... I'm sure many of you has heard from the news earlier today, but the champion of Alola has also become a victim to this crisis."

That piece of information shocked the wolves. While they were not natives to Alola, nor did any go to the region like their leader had, just hearing that one of the many Pokemon Champions had also disappeared like many others was worrying.

"Because of this incident, the Aether Foundation has invested much more of their fortune and technology in trying to figure out the cause of these disappearances. While they already have a theory in mind as to where these missing people and Pokemon had gone to, it did not solve the question as to how such a thing occurred all over the world and what happened to the trainers while they were there."

"If they know where these trainers had gone to, why didn't they just announce it?" one of the wolves asked.

"As I said, it is but a theory. Besides, the foundation are already training up some individuals for potential dangers that may occur, individuals selected to bring back the trainers and missing Pokemon," the alpha explained. "As much as I want to give some more positive information on the matter, this is all I know so far. I will be meeting the Aether Foundation later on in the week for more information. For now, everyone is dismissed. And be careful."

The wolves all nodded, and most of them split away from the pack, leaving the leader, his son, and two others.

Once the wolves were out of sight, the leader let out a sigh.

"It seems life has a way of making things interesting, hasn't it, father?" his son asked.

"Depends on the definition of 'interesting'," he said. Looking to the remaining two wolves, specifically one of the two, he then asked, "And? Any news from the Gym Leaders, Elite Fours or other champions on the matter, Misaki?"

"Assuming you mean any good news on the matter from them, unfortunately, no," one of the two wolves answered. "They're trying to get as many information as they possibly can, looking into legends, myths, or even old stories that may have a link to this circumstance. But they have none. Not even the information they got from the Pokemon, both wild and other trainers, helped in figuring out what happened. And as much as they want to ask the Pokemon of the trainers who returned, unfortunately, they seemed to have lost their Pokemon. Well... with the way they're acting, I don't think it's right to say that they 'lost' them."

"So even the Champion of Sinnoh can't help with this matter..." the alpha's son said.

"There are things a champion can and can't do, cousin. Then again, maybe I can ask for Cynthia's insight on this matter. Maybe she found something."

"And what about _him_?" the alpha asked, emphasizing on the 'them'.

"He came back earlier this morning. Unfortunately, they got nothing either about this mess," Misaki answered.

"This is quite worrying... In any case, we should continue living our lives as we please, and gather more information as we can from other regions. You may all leave." With that, the alpha wolf left the area, followed by his son.

Misaki stood there with a sigh. ' _How extremely troublesome..._ ' she thought.

"You sure have it rough, don't you?" said the one remaining wolf.

"That's an understatement, Leah," Misaki told her. "Life as one of the many Pokemon Champions is hard enough, but then this crisis came, and everything is in disarray. Though the public isn't panicking too badly, that doesn't mean they are at peace either. As Sinnoh's champion, it's my job to show the people that there is nothing to fear in times of danger. I and Cynthia managed to stop Team Galactic's plan and keep the peace. As much as I want to say that this isn't any different, due to the fact that some trainers disappeared and returned looking more than dead on the inside..."

"It's going to be hard to reassure the people," Leah completed for her friend.

"Yeah..." Misaki's mind went back to when she and the Elite Four members saw the returned trainers in the horrid state they were in; how these trainers had terrified looks on their faces, and how they kept uttering out pleas for themselves and their missing Pokemon. As if it wasn't horrible enough, they even have injuries, bruises, marks on their bodies... Some were so bad, it was a wonder how they managed to live through whatever torture they had gone through.

"What do you think happened?" Leah asked Misaki.

"Let's see... Considering the fact that Saturn is trying to do good for Team Galactic, it can't be them. I can't say for sure about Cyrus, as he is trapped in the Distortion World. And I highly doubt Giratina just let the man return to this world or do as he please in that world. And speaking of, I doubt that world has anything to do with the matter anyway..."

"But aren't there other villainous teams out there?"

"There are, if I recall, but I don't know much about them to really suspect them."

Leah silently nodded, seeing the point her friend made. "Do you think that Alolan Champion will be okay?"

"I don't know. Never met her to say for sure," Misaki answered.

"During your three years of being Sinnoh Champion?!"

"Just because I've been champion for that long doesn't necessarily mean that I am able to meet each and every region champion out there. Besides, if I recall, the Alolan Champion is a year younger than me, and she's been champion for just as long. Though I have heard of her, I don't remember hearing anything about her ever visiting other regions ever since she became champion."

"Well, I suppose that is true..."

"Now come on. We have to hurry back to the hotel, or a panic will arise because another Pokemon Champion has gone missing." With that, the pair of wolves rushed back to town.

Once they saw city lights ahead of them, both wolves reverted back to their human forms and began walking. As they walked, Leah suddenly stopped in her tracks, prompting Misaki to stop as well.

"What's wrong?" the Sinnoh Champion asked.

"Do you... hear something?" Leah asked back.

Misaki tilted her head in confusion. "Like what?"

"Like... Singing?" Leah turned to one direction and suddenly took off.

"Wha- Hey! Where are you going?!" Misaki called, following after her.

A few minutes of running later, with Leah turning into a wolf halfway, the pair found themselves in a clearing, with many sparkling lights flying around them.

"Wow... This is a pretty place," Misaki stated, loving the sight before her. As she looked back to Leah, though, she noticed the wolf was unresponsive, which was slightly concerning her. "Leah? Are you okay?" Misaki approached and noticed that the wolf had a dazed look on her face. "Leah? Hello?" She waved her hand at her friend's face, but received no response still. "Leah?"

Just then, the strangest thing happened. The sparkling lights slowly started to make their way towards the wolf and currently-human pair, surrounding the two. Misaki looked around her, not liking the situation at all. "Leah! Wake up!" She shook her friend, who was still in a daze. As the lights started to spin around them, Misaki's wolf senses were telling her something was definitely going to be wrong and tackled Leah away.

That woke the wolf up, as she felt her body hit the ground and looked up to see Misaki trapped in an orb of light, as well as vines wrapped around her body.

"Misaki!" she cried out.

"Get out of here! Now!" the Sinnoh Champion shouted, trying to free herself from the plants.

"Oh ho~ And that's another trainer to take~" came a voice.

Next thing the girls knew, the orb of light suddenly disappeared... taking Misaki with it.

"Misaki!" Leah cried out.

* * *

With the taken girl, she found herself traveling through what seemed like a portal.

"What the hell?! What's going on here?!" she shouted.

The voice from before let out a chuckle at her question. "All will be explained in due time~ Hope you will enjoy your stay and leave your Pokemon with us~"

That last part was more than enough for Misaki to know what was happening; she was being taken just like the other trainers were. And she was not going to follow their fate.

Reverting back to her wolf form, Misaki bit the vines keeping her trapped in the orb, forcing them to release her, and causing her to fall out of the orb.

* * *

Near the Wind Village in Hoshido, a certain boy has been training on his own in a secluded area. What was he training on? Well, his magic of course. Sure, there are plenty of Pokemon near the village, some hiding in the Eternal Staircase's cave, but he didn't want to have anything to do with them. Well... rather than saying that, it was more of him being cautious. Though he and the village had heard of how friendly the Pokemon can be, they still could not forget the other rumors of how dangerous they also are. As they don't truly know what is the truth, it was safer to keep their distance from the Pokemon.

As Hayato was done with his training, an odd wind blew. He looked up to where the wind came from and saw something falling from above. While he didn't know who or what it was that was falling, he knew that it was going to die if he doesn't do something. As such, he quickly summoned out an rat spirit, as it climbed up the air and caught the falling figure and set it down gently on the dessert sand.

As Hayato approached the unmoving figure, he saw it was an unconscious wolf he had saved. But that didn't make any sense... ' _Why was a wolf falling from the sky?_ ' he wondered. Clearly, wolves can't fly. If this wolf was a Pokemon, it sure looked too much like a normal wolf to be one.

As Hayato went to check the unconscious beast's pulse, its eyes suddenly opened and pounced on him. As it let out a warning growl, it- rather, she, was frightening the poor boy.

" _Where am I?!_ " Misaki demanded in wolf tongue.

"Whoa! Why you... mutt!" Hayato shouted, sneakily summoning a rat spirit and forcing the wolf girl off him. Once he was free from her grasp, Hayato stood back up and got into battle position.

Misaki, shocked by the sudden cold feeling, looked around and saw no sign of a Pokemon nearby. She sniffed the air, but due to the wind and the sand, it was hard to tell if there was a Pokemon hidden nearby. Then again, if there was one, can there really be a Pokemon in this sort of environment who can use an Ice-type move? Well, if there was a Pokemon in this environment that is good at hiding, she has the perfect Pokemon to be the seeker.

That being said, as she changed back to her human form, Hayato, who had assumed she was just a normal wolf, was shocked at the transformation. "Wait, you're a human?! And a girl?!" he gasped.

"That's right, I am. And I don't know where I am, but if you're looking for a battle, you're getting one," Misaki said, taking out a Pokeball. "Lucian! Let's go!" Appearing out of the ball was her Lucario.

Hayato's eyes widened at the sight of the Pokemon coming out of the small ball. ' _What is she?! How did she summon one of those things?!_ ' he wondered.

"Be careful, Lucian. I don't know what Pokemon he has, but it's hiding somewhere in this dessert. Find it and dig it out with Bone Rush," Misaki ordered.

Lucian nodded and closed her eyes, trying to sense out the hidden opponent. However, as she and her trainer are not natives in this new world, they did not know that magic exist here. As such, it surprised Lucian to sense no other auras besides herself, her trainer, and the boy before them, but also sense a large amount of aura from their opponent.

Upon seeing the Lucario get into defense formation rather than striking a hidden enemy, Misaki raised a brow in confusion. "What's wrong, Lucian?" she asked.

Hayato, not liking how the girl was ignoring him like she was, went to attack first, as he summoned out another rat spirit to attack. The moment it was out, however, Lucian unleashed a Bone Rush to block and obliterate it.

That one act alone, and Misaki now understood Lucian's cautious actions. Wherever they were sent to, it was definitely not a place of their world. And since they were in an unknown land, and the boy before them didn't seem like that sort of bad guy, not like Team Galactic, it was safe for her to say that maybe they, mostly Misaki, can negotiate with him.

"Look, I'm pretty sure we're starting off on the wrong foot here," she calmly spoke.

"Says the Wolfskin of Nohr!" Hayato accused. "You think just because you're different from your kind in your beast form, I won't be able to connect the dots? Think again!"

New to the terms 'Wolfskin' and 'Nohr', as any foreigners would, Misaki asked, "Hang on, what are you talking about?"

"Don't try to lie your way out of this! You feigned being unconscious and attacked me!"

Misaki flinched, as she knew what he meant by that. When she managed to pry herself free from the vines and fell out of the orb she was in, her little travel in the portal was quite mind-blowing, somewhat literally, to the point where she was knocked unconscious during the ride. It was when she felt a hand with an unfamiliar scent that she suddenly woke up and pounce on the boy.

Unfortunately, Hayato took her flinch the wrong way. "See? I saw through your antics. Now prepare yourself!" With that, he summoned another rat spirit at Misaki.

Lucian, with her Bone Rush still active, quickly knocked the spirit away and destroyed it once more. This caused Hayato to grimaced upon seeing a Pokemon's strength in action, rather than hearing about it.

"Look, I know what you're talking about, but I promise you, it is a big misunderstanding," Misaki tried to reason once more.

"Shut up, Nohrian!" Hayato summoned another spirit. Unlike before with his direct attempt to attack Misaki, this spirit exploded in front of Lucian's face before the Lucario made contact with her Bone Rush.

Lucian closed her eyes and sensed Hayato running away, towards the Wind Village.

Misaki, hearing the sound of footsteps running away from the area, also realized that Hayato was escaping. And wherever he was escaping to, there had to be more people there, people who are reasonable and willing to hear her out.

... How wrong she was when she arrived there...

The moment she arrived, unfortunately, the boy had already spoke to the village about her and Lucian and how they were their 'enemies', even though it was just a misunderstanding. But alas, like him, they refused to hear the girl out and tried to attack her. Note: tried, as Lucian reacted faster than each and every one of them and managed to knock them out before they could even raise their weapon at her master.

"Is there any one here who is willing to hear me out?!" Misaki shouted, getting quite irritated with how these guys were refusing to listen to a word she wanted to say. Even more so, that despite seeing a handful of them easily getting taken out by Lucian, they still persist in wanting to kill them both.

"Damn Nohrian scum! Quit hiding behind that Poke-mon and fight like a soldier!" one of the spear wielders shouted.

"I'm pretty sure it's pronounced as 'Pokemon'," a swordsman corrected.

"Does it matter?! Clearly those things are on the side of the enemy, despite what rumors say!"

Hearing those alone, Misaki knew now whatever world she was in has Pokemon, but by the sound of it, they don't seem as well-known as they are in her world.

"My god... Who'd have thought these creatures will be that much of a force to be reckoned with? It'd be great if they're on our side," came a voice. The remaining men, Lucian, and Misaki turned to the source and saw a shirtless, muscular guy approaching them. "Looks like it's up to me to get rid of these unwelcome 'guests'."

The way he said 'guest' made Misaki believe that he, too, wouldn't listen to reason.

"Well... Since you're so insistent on wanting to speak to us about something, how about you prove yourself in battle first, girl?" Until he made that offer. "You've been having that creature of yours do all the fighting for you. It makes me question your own strength."

"What's that suppose to mean?" she asked.

"I believe one's strength defines their character better than anything else. If you wish for us to talk, then you first must beat me with your own power."

Misaki's eyes narrowed at that, especially since in her world, trainers are not the ones to do battle against each other. Then again... she was not an ordinary trainer.

"You're giving me quite a huge disadvantage then. Where I come from, I'm not the one who does the battling," she said, signaling Lucian to back down, in which the Lucario complied.

This made Fuga's eyes sharpen, taking that statement the wrong way. "Is that so? Then you are but a disgrace... of a Nohrian royal!" He charged at her with his iron club, raising it high above his head, ready to crush the girl where she stood.

However, whether Hayato had forgotten to mention the part of her turning into a wolf or Fuga was not around to hear of such info, Misaki and Lucian didn't know, but the trainer quickly shifted into her wolf form and dashed away from her spot, avoiding the attack, in which she noticed had surprised the big guy.

Once she was a safe distance away, Misaki looked over to Fuga, glaring at the guy as she got into battle position. " _Come..._ " she dared with a growl.

"Ho? So you're not just any Nohrian royal," Fuga assumed. "Then again, I never heard of there being a Wolfskin in the royal family. Although, you don't look like a Wolfskin I've seen."

' _That word again... So there are people like my kind here in this world,_ ' Misaki noticed.

A smirk found its way on Fuga's face. "This will surely be interesting. Come, beast!"

Misaki let out a howl, accepting the challenge, and charged right in.

Fuga swapped his weapon out for a katana and swung his blade at her. Thanks to her enhanced, wolf senses, Misaki had managed to avoid the hit and swiped her claws at the guy. The chieftain managed to see through her attack and leaned back, narrowly avoided the claws. Upon landing on all fours, the trainer could tell that this man was definitely stronger than the other guys. Sure, it was Lucian who fought against them, but none were able to react fast enough to avoid her attacks right after she dodged their's.

Fuga, taking precautions upon seeing her reflexes, swapped his weapon once more, this time, for a naginata. He charged at Misaki with a thrust, in which the wolf girl jumped to avoid. She quickly changed back into her human form and landed on his weapon. Due to the sudden, additional weight, Fuga slightly lost his balance and almost lost his grip on his weapon, as the blade part hit the ground. Without giving him time to recover, Misaki landed a good kick to his chin and followed it up with a double kick to his chest, which also helped in distancing herself from the guy.

Fuga, taken aback by her reflexes, rubbed his chin in slight pain. "You got some moves there. Have to admit, I am impressed," he stated.

"Glad you're impressed. But it's not going to be enough to convince you, is it?" Misaki assumed.

"You assume right. Now come!"

For the next hour and a half, Misaki had been fighting against Fuga, constantly changing between her two forms to get the upper hand in the fight, while her opponent constantly changed between his three weapons to get his own upper hand. The villagers and Hayato were surprised to see the girl last so long against their leader, as not many were able to last that long against him.

Fuga avoided another claw attack from his opponent, who landed on her four feet. Both fighters were clearly exhausted; this next attack will be the last, and they both knew it. With a war cry, Fuga charged at Misaki, who charged back with a snarl. They crossed paths with one another; Fuga with his sword in front of him in a slashing motion, and Misaki with her fangs bared. It was silent between the two. Fuga was the first to fall to his knees, a big claw mark seen on his side. Misaki soon followed after, tumbling down with a bad cut appearing on her side.

Seeing her master defeated like this instantly worried Lucian, who ran to help her trainer up. "Lucar!" she grunted out, while the villagers all cheered for their leader's victory.

"Now's your chance! Finish her, Chieftain Fuga!" Hayato called out.

At his words, everyone else also cheered for their chief to finish these intruders off. Lucian immediately put her guard up and stood protectively over her trainer.

"I will do no such thing!" Fuga shouted, silencing the villagers, as they looked to him in confusion. "This girl is nothing like the Nohrians! Get her treated this instant!"

"What? But Chieftain! She-!"

"I'm sure whatever happened between the two of you was but a misunderstanding. I can tell from our fight. She is nothing like that. Now get her the treatment she needs!" Fuga interrupted Hayato. Almost instantly, the villagers approached the wounded Misaki and protective Lucian, the latter glaring at the group, preventing them from taking another step closer to her master.

Noticing the Lucario's protective instinct, Fuga assured, "Don't worry. We're not going to kill her."

Lucian took a look at the man's aura and sensed that he truly meant what he said. With this assurance, she let them take her master to one of the houses for the treatment she needs.

* * *

Later that night, Misaki awoke and found herself in an unfamiliar room. Her wolf nose sniffed out Lucian's scent, but didn't see the Lucario anywhere in the room.

" _Lucian...?_ " She slowly got up, or attempted to at least, when she felt slight pain on her side. Glancing over, she saw a bandage was wrapped around her torso and recalled the battle she had. " _That's right... I lost to that guy,_ " she said. " _Well, it can't be helped. Trainers don't usually do the fighting. And though I have some combat experience, it's not enough against that guy. Although, why am I alive?_ "

Knowing she wasn't going to get her answers just lying around, Misaki slowly got up from the bed she was on, morphing back into a human and made her way to the door. Thankfully, her clothes also shifts as she transforms, so she wasn't going to go out nude. That, and the bandages were still intact when she changed back.

Once she got to the door, she noticed it was there that Lucian's scent was at its strongest. ' _Has she been standing guard since I lost?_ ' she wondered, opening the door.

"Oh! There she is!" came Fuga's voice. The Sinnoh champion turned and saw the guy just approaching the building she was in, with Hayato in tow. "Hope you rested well."

"Uh, yeah. I did," she answered. "Though if I may, why am I still alive? I was under the impression that you would kill me if I don't prove myself first."

Just as the guy got within arm's distance to Misaki, Lucian jumped down from the rooftop she was on, standing protectively between him and her trainer.

While Hayato didn't like the hostility the Pokemon was showing, Fuga simply raised a hand. "At ease, friend. I've no intention of harming your master," he assured.

Sensing truth in his words and aura, Lucian stood down. "If that's true, then why am I alive?" Misaki asked.

"During our battle, I sensed that you are not like our enemies of Nohr. Besides, I do remember hearing you say something along the lines of wanting to be heard. That, and for your Pokemon to stay on standby despite the obvious disadvantage you had against me, as well as how protective it was for you while you were unconscious, it proved to me how loyal these creatures can be, as we have heard from rumors. And the fact that it is so loyal to you must mean you are like the person who was the cause of that such rumors to exist. So, shall we hear it? How you are here and what really happened."

Thankful that the chieftain was willing to hear her out, she explained to Fuga what really happened when she first met Hayato. After a few minutes of explaining, Fuga let out a small laugh.

"I see. So that's what happened," he said. Turning to his student, who just looked away, embarrassed for the horrible misunderstanding, as Misaki had been telling him for quite a while now, he then said, "Looks like you've a long way to go, if you jumped to such a conclusion like you did."

Hayato simply grumbled at those words.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Fuga asked Misaki.

"If possible, I want to go back home to my world," she answered. "Now that I know what happened to the Pokemon in my world, where they are being taken to, there is a chance that the trainers abducted are here as well. I, alone, can't help save them, but with backup from my world, those trainers can be saved. Not only that, but it sounds like this 'Nohr' place has been giving you guys some real trouble. My friends back home can help you guys end that war."

Fuga, Hayato, and those listening cannot believe what they were hearing. "You're willing to help us? Despite the bad welcome?" the chieftain asked.

"We only started off on the wrong foot, that's all. First impressions don't always identify one's true self."

Hearing her reason for forgiving them, Fuga couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "I like you, girl!" he exclaimed, giving her a hard pat on the back. "I promise to return the favor at some point. For now, though, you best stay in this village and rest up. I doubt you can do much fighting with that wound."

' _Yeah, especially when you just went and possibly made it worse..._ ' Misaki thought, as she felt pain from the said injury from that pat.

"Thanks... In exchange, I'll teach you everything I know about Pokemon," she said.

* * *

A couple days later, Misaki's injury had healed up. Thankfully, the cut wasn't as bad as it seemed, thus making a fast recovery. However, that very same day...

"I've a report!" shouted a ninja on patrol that day. "The guards at the Eternal Staircase has been attacked by the traitorous princess and her comrades!"

"What was that?!" Hayato gasped.

Hearing that brought rage to the villagers. After all, everyone in the Wind Village was like a family to each other, as Misaki had witnessed.

"So it seems rumors of her betrayal is true..." Fuga said. "That princess thinks she can start the destruction of both kingdoms with attacking our people, does she? She best think again. Apprehend these intruders and bring them here! They will pay for what they've done!"

The villagers he gave the order to nodded and rush to the Eternal Staircase, where Corrin and the others were. As they left, Misaki approached him. "Just to be sure, you sure it was Corrin and the others who attacked, right? For all we know, it could be someone else posing as her," she asked.

"We all know what the princess looks like," Fuga answered. "Rumor has it that she seeks the destruction of both Nohr and Hoshido. The fact that she attacked our guards with no remorse confirms it."

Misaki, who felt something was wrong about this story, stayed silent. With so little real information, it was too early for her to tell if what happened in the Eternal Staircase was what it seemed to be. Still, the Wind Village was kind enough to take her in and help her heal, despite how they first started off; it was only right for her to repay their kindness in full.

* * *

Soon after, the villagers returned with a few of the people who are Corrin's allies. The moment she laid eyes on the trio, she couldn't help but be shocked to see that there were trainers who allied themselves with the person who may be their greatest enemy. Either that, or these three are soldiers in disguise as them. With so much information to process on in so little time, Misaki didn't know which was the truth. Besides, the trio didn't seem at all frightened with what was going to come next, as any normal trainers would be.

Minutes later, the princess herself and the rest of her group arrived, trying to clear up the misunderstanding and convince Fuga to let the trainers go. However, Fuga wasn't having any of it, and proceeded to begin the execution... until Rinkah arrived. Upon her arrival and declaration of strong trust towards Corrin, Fuga decided to give them a chance to prove themselves in battle. Misaki, wanting to test the trainers' strength for herself, to see if they were trainers from her world, especially one of the three trainers. She had seen her face once a few years ago on tv, but that was only once, and she rarely watches news of other regions. As such, she decided to join the Wind Village in 'testing' the group.

What she didn't expect, however, was for the trainers to suddenly fight back like they did. Not only that, but they also called Pokemon out from their Pokeballs, thus proving that they are from her world. However, she was still wary about Corrin's group, and decided to play the enemy role just a little longer. Upon realizing the three they captured were truly trainers, and that Corrin's group was not what rumors said they were, Misaki ceased the act and joined them as an ally.


	20. Conversing, Planning, and Fighting

**You know what I hate about college? They take up so much of my time away from here, especially with tests. Got to study for them after all. But! That matters not now. Why? Because... we are back with another chapter of Pokemon Emblem: A Trainer's Fate! You are all probably hoping that this chapter will feature the group in Izumo to do what they were there to do. Unfortunately, that is not the case here. Instead, it is another chapter in the Astral Planes, featuring my version of the support conversation, as well as a little thing happening in Nohr with two of the three certain trainers AND! A certain other trio~ So! That being said, I hope you all enjoy this chapter~!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Fire Emblem of any kind for either of them. I do own my OC. Adrian is owned by Antex- The Legendary Zoroark. Ali(cia), Mark and Nate are owned by kitsunelover300. Kale is owned by Insane Dominator. Misaki is owned by Pink Lightspeed Ranger.**

* * *

"Normal people talking"

' _Thoughts_ '

" _ **Z-MOVE!**_ "

" _ **Dragon-type Pokemon talking**_ " Only from Corrin's perspective

" _Misaki talking in wolf form_ "

* * *

After the battle against the Wind Village, Corrin decided to have the group return to the Astral Plane to recover some more of their stamina, especially for the Pokemon. Not only that, but she thought it appropriate to have the new members know about the place before they continued on with their mission.

"I see you have some Pokemon in this place as well," Misaki stated.

"They belong to other trainers. Most likely ones from my world, unless if the trainers from Adrian's world or some other PokeEarth out there also got dragged into this," Riana said.

"I see... Still, to have managed to save so few Pokemon in a span of few days... For the Alolan Champion, you must've gotten somewhat rusty. Or is this Nohr Kingdom tougher than I thought?"

Riana looked at her in confusion. "What are you talking about? I didn't even tell you how long it's been since we've started to save them."

This time, it was Misaki looking at her confused. "You've been gone for a few days, haven't you? At least, the news I heard the night before I arrived here announced your disappearance at that time. And since I've only been here for a couple of days, I'd say a few days sound accurate."

This caused Riana to look at her in pure confusion. After all, she had been there for longer than just a mere few days. "Misaki, was it? I've been here for over a month now."

The wolf trainer turned to the girl with a puzzled look on her face. "... What?"

* * *

Meanwhile, with Adrian, the guy was taking his free time out in the nature side of the Astral Plane. He was blowing on a leaf he plucked off a tree, playing a lovely turn that was calming the three frightened Pokemon they saved. During the time they were gone, somehow other Pokemon found their way in the plane as well, and remained there, most likely because of the Poke Beans from the Poke Beanstalk.

The sound of a twig snapping reached their ears, causing Adrian to stop playing and the Pokemon to be on alert. The frightened Pokemon proceeded to hide behind the guy.

Adrian simply sighed. "You know, if you wanted to hear me play, you didn't have to hide," he said, turning to the direction of the twig snap.

There, hidden nearby, was Sakura. "S-Sorry... I couldn't help but notice the sound," the youngest princess apologized.

"I thought you'd be with your mom," Adrian said, petting the Poocheyna behind him to keep it calm.

"I was... But then I heard that sound you were playing and got curious. How did you do that?"

"It's called leaf whistling. Basically, I'm playing music by blowing on a leaf." Adrian blew on the said 'instrument' in his hand, demonstrating his skill.

Sakura was amazed that for someone as cold as him, who at times can also only think of battling and settling the score with Riana, can play such a lovely tune. "That sounds amazing! Can you teach me how to do that?"

"I'm pretty sure a young princess like you has better instruments to play than a simple leaf," Adrian said, ceasing in his playing.

"Well, yeah. I play the koto, but I want to try something new. Besides, I was hoping playing some music can help calm the Pokemon some more, help them see they are safe here. But I heard real instruments puts animals to sleep..."

"Pokemon don't fall asleep from listening to real instruments," Adrian corrected the young princess. Despite correcting her about Pokemon and real instruments, he saw Sakura's determined gaze remained unchange. "... You really want to learn how to leaf whistle, don't you?" Sakura nodded at the question. Adrian stayed silent and simply picked up the Poochyena and Shellos hiding behind him. "Bond with these two first and we'll talk about it."

Sakura and the pair of Pokemon were shocked at the condition for different reasons. "B-But... You know I can't. That's why I'm asking you to teach me leaf whistling."

Adrian ignored her and got up, placing the Bite Pokemon and Sea Slug Pokemon in her arms. "Good luck. I have an appointed battle to get to with Riana."

"Wait! Adrian!" Sakura called out to her adopted sister's retainer, but was sadly ignored still and watched as the guy continued to walk away. As he was getting out of sight, Sakura couldn't help but feel some kind of chill running down her spine and turned to see Fearow glaring at her. Poochyena and Shellos both cried out and flailed about in a panic, getting out of Sakura's arms and prompting Fearow to let out a threatening caw at her. "Ah! P-Please excuse me!" With that, the young princess ran out of the woods.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Pokemon Day Care, Ali checked up on the Pokemon she and Riana had left behind. Thankfully, the Pokemon had completely recovered from their battles and were completely healthy.

"Okay. Looks like you guys are all healed up now," she said to them. "Just need to give you guys some Oran and Sitrus Berries and you'll all be good to go."

"Is that how you take care of Pokemon in your world?" came Kaze's voice.

Ali turned and saw the one ninja of their group and his Ninjask enter the building. "Hi! Kaze, right?"

"Yes. And you're one of the trainers, right? From another world like Riana."

"Guilty as charged. What brings you here?"

"Just wanted to see how you trainers take care of Pokemon. I've seen how you train them, but I have been curious with how you take care of them after battle. This is how you do it?"

As far as Kaze could see, all the Pokemon in the room are either on beds, sofa, or lying as comfortably as they could on the carpeted floors. Since the Day Care had just been made, it currently didn't provide enough beds or rooms for the injured Pokemon. Well, Day Cares normally are not hospitals for Pokemon anyway, but with how things are, it might as well be while the Pokemon and trainers were in this world. Fira, the only Pokemon in the room that is not a patient, was chasing after Ninjask in a game of tag, in which the Ninja Pokemon simply flew away to get some distance between them.

"I'm pretty sure that sort of training is only for Riana. As for this treatment, I'm not a doctor, and this place isn't one suited to be a hospital, but I did help my family take care of Pokemon back when I was a kid. And while we're here, we gotta make do for the Pokemon should they get hurt. Thankfully, we have a good supply of berries in the Astral Plane to use as medicine," Ali reasoned.

"'Doctor'? 'Hospital'? What are those?" Kaze asked, not familiar with the terms.

"To say it in the language of your world, 'doctors' are healers, and 'hospitals' is a place where the healers take care of pa- I mean the injured or sickly."

"I see. So there is a place for Pokemon to recover after battle in your world."

"That's right. We call those kind of hospitals 'Pokemon Centers', and they also act as a sort of... rest area for trainers. Kind of like the Astral Plane is for us."

"Interesting. Tell me something, do you have ninjas in your world? What are they like?" Kaze then asked.

"Well, yes. We do have ninjas in our world, much like you. They even trained their Pokemon to... I guess modify their moves fitting for a ninja. Did Riana not tell you?" Ali answered.

"I never got the chance to ask, especially as she was always training with her own Pokemon. If not that, she would be in a middle of a Pokemon battle with Adrian or teaching Azura how to do battle with Blue. Often times, she even teaches the soldiers how to bond with Pokemon. There was never a good time for me to ask her."

Ali widened her eyes in slight shock at this. "I've heard of how busy Pokemon Champions would be, but even then that is quite busy."

"Yes, she is quite the hardworking person. I've never seen anyone show so much dedication in anything, not even with the other retainers."

"Then what about Adrian? He's a trainer from the Pokemon world, too."

"Most of the time, if he wasn't having a Pokemon battle with Riana, he would disappear. Believe me, it took me and a few other ninjas everything we had to find him. And every time we do, he makes it harder to find him after that."

Ali sweat dropped at this. Clearly, despite being Azura's retainer, the guy did not want to have anything to do with anyone, aside from the Alolan Champion, that is. "I see... If you like, I can show you how the ninjas in our world do battle with their Pokemon," she offered.

Kaze perked up at this. "Do you mean to say you are also a ninja? Or at least have mastered the basics of it."

"Not that kind of show. I just mean I-" Ali stopped herself upon realizing one little thing. "Oh wait... You don't know what a camera is, do you?"

"A camera?" That question alone was more than enough to answer the question, as well as reminding Ali that the world is quite behind the times of technology.

The girl placed a finger on her chin in thought, wondering how to explain what a camera is to Kaze. Instead, she told him, "How about I show you how ninjas train their Pokemon the next time we come back from the outside world? I need to find the film that has the techniques after all. And I need to do some final check-ups on the Pokemon here."

While still confused as to what a 'camera' was, and what a 'film' was, Kaze nodded. "Sounds reasonable. I look forward to our training session. Come, Ninjask."

Ali raised a brow at the 'training' part, but before she could ask or correct him, Kaze and his Pokemon had disappeared. "What the-? Kaze!" She looked around and saw no sign of the ninja anywhere. "How do ninjas do that...?"

Just then, Mozu walked in with Muddy in tow, carrying a basket of Oran and Sitrus Berries in her arms while the Mudbray had some baskets of his own attached to both sides of its saddle, full of Figi, Wiki, Mago, Aguav, and Iapapa Berries.

"Hey, Ali. We brought the berries you asked for," the farmer called.

* * *

Back with Riana and Misaki, the two sat by the beanstalk in silence. Both tried to process over what was shared, but found it quite unbelievable.

"So... When you arrived here, it was days ago. The day before you were dragged here, word of my disappearance had spread..." Riana spoke.

"When it had been about a couple of months in your case," Misaki added. "The Alola region, or at least the people with you, couldn't have delayed the news for over a month. If a Pokemon Champion had disappeared, the whole world have the right to know, especially with the cases of disappearing trainers already."

"It wouldn't sound like Mina or Hapu to delay the news either, or Professor Kukui. Which could only mean..." Riana trailed off there, not believing what she was considering, even though she was in another world.

"Time here is different from back home," Misaki finished for her.

Riana rubbed her hands across her face in disbelief. "I know I'm in another world, one that feels like what our world may look like in ancient times without Pokemon, but even then, it is unbelievable."

"Well, what are you going to do? Don't tell me you will just take your lovely time, enjoying the world here before returning to ours."

"Of course not! Nothing has changed from this. If anything, it means the trainers were left here far longer, tortured longer than any of us ever thought in giving up their Pokemon! That being said, who knows how many other trainers are in Nohr, and being forced to break their bonds with their Pokemon? Who knows how long they've been here really? We were told that they were gone from our world for about a whole day. By the sound of it, that whole day is about a month, maybe more than that here! If we had found this out while we're back in our world, many more people would've been tortured into giving up their Pokemon, many more would lose Pokemon and be broken! Not just the trainers, but from what we saw with the Pokemon we had already saved, there are a number of Pokemon there that are being forced into submission as well. As a Pokemon Champion, now that I know of this, I have to hurry up and do something to help them."

"Not alone, you won't," Misaki said. "You're not the only champion here. As Sinnoh's Champion, I share the same burden. Consider me an ally, because I'm helping you with this case. We trainers have to stick together and save our kin and the Pokemon." She held out a hand as a sign of their alliance to be formed.

Riana looked at her, then to the hand, and smiled, accepting the handshake. "For the sake of all trainers and Pokemon alike, let's do everything we can to help them."

* * *

Meanwhile, in Cassita's house in Nohr, Mark and Nate were doing whatever they could to help out around the place. While they were staying in the wet-nurse's place, they figured they had to do something to thank her for allowing them to hide there; they didn't want to take advantage of her kindness, after all. Plus, if Elise did come back with Pokemon on her, they might as well help tidy up the place to make it look more welcoming enough for them.

Mark looked to where Nate was by the window, wiping the glass so sparkly clean. "Nate. You've been at that window for over an hour now. I am pretty sure that's as clean as it gets," he told him.

The younger brother jumped slightly at this and realized that he had spaced out during his duty. "O-Oh! You're right, big bro. Thanks."

Just as Nate was going to the next window to clean, Mark asked him, "You're worried about Elise, aren't you?" That question made the boy freeze, confirming the older brother's suspicion. "Nate, it's only been a day. I'm sure she has her own duties to attend to at the castle. She is a princess, after all."

"But what if they know she's helping us? What if her dad knows she's hiding us? Bad enough we left our parents behind, did you see what was happening to the other trainers back there? What's happening to the Pokemon? I... I'm just scared of what's happening to her..."

Mark looked down, understanding his brother's worries. While he didn't know what happened with their parents after they escaped, he did have a good idea of what was going on with them at this moment. No doubt their parents are being tortured to give up their Pokemon to those horrible men, and there was nothing they or Elise could do to help them. Even if the young princess did try to save them, what then? She would most likely be seen as a traitor to her father and most likely meet the same fate as the chained trainers.

A knock was heard by the door, prompting the boys to flinch slightly.

"Coming!" Cassita called. As she walked past the living room, she quickly gestured to the boys to hide, in case it was Garon's men at the doors. The pair of trainers got the message and quickly found places to hide in the room. It wasn't long after they were hidden, they heard the door open. "Oh, Princess Camilla! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

While neither boys knew who Camilla was, just hearing that she was a princess made them think she was related to Elise. Whether or not she was an ally, though, remained to be seen.

"I heard from Elise, about a certain pair of trainers hiding out here," came the voice of an adult female. "Don't worry, I'm a friend."

"O-Oh! If you say so." From their hiding places, the boys saw Cassita leading a purple-haired woman into the living room. "Mark, Nate. You boys can come out. Elise's sister is here."

Neither boys moved from their spot, unsure if the woman with the wet-nurse is trustworthy.

As though knowing what they were thinking, Camilla said, "You can trust me. I assure you, I am on your side." Almost as it to prove that, she took out a Pokeball from her person and set it on the table, as well as putting down her axe.

Seeing this, Mark and Nate looked at each other from their hiding places and slowly revealed themselves to the first princess, which brought a smile to her face.

"My name is Camilla. I'm the first princess of Nohr, and one of the few Nohrians who know of your whereabouts here," she introduced herself. "Do relax; I made sure I wasn't followed."

"I guess if Elise trusted you enough to tell you where we are, you're okay," Mark said.

"Is Elise okay?" Nate asked.

"She's fine," Camilla answered. "Elise is occupied in sneaking away some Pokemon from some of our soldiers. I, on the other hand, am under orders from our father in patrolling around the area to search for the two of you."

Hearing that brought the brothers on guard. "Then you're-!"

"Calm down. I already told you I'm on your side," the first princess interrupted Mark, who moved in front of his little brother to block her view of him. "Like Elise, I won't let anyone know of your whereabouts."

"Why help us, though? Both you and your sister. Why help us?"

"You still don't trust her, Mark?" Nate asked, referring to Elise .

"Do you blame me? Excuse me for taking precautions here, but I don't know about trusting these two at the moment," Mark said.

"I don't blame you," Camilla said in understanding. "Truth is, if this situation was different, I would've probably bring you in by force."

"What's holding you back?" Nate asked.

"I met a trainer. Two trainers, really. One of them sort of brought to light on what truly happened to the trainers who arrived on our land and their Pokemon, and the other kind of helped confirm on it. Adding to the fact that you two ran from my father's men, I can't help but wonder more about what really happened to people like you and the Pokemon under us."

"So you'll really help us?"

"To the best of my abilities. Although, as things are now, it's dangerous to take you both out of Nohr. I may be on patrol, but that doesn't mean there aren't any guards near Bottomless Canyon, the only exit out of this kingdom."

"Yeah, we figured," Mark said. "Even if we were to take them out with our Pokemon, there's a chance they have Pokemon on their own, strong ones at that, and take out our team. My team and I could probably hold them off, but my brother and his Pokemon aren't much of fighters."

This made Camilla raise a brow. "I thought Pokemon are... keen to battle," she said, being careful with her words.

"Not all Pokemon like to," Nate answered this time. "Like people, there are Pokemon who are pacifists. Two of my Pokemon are more than willing to fight, but even then..."

Hearing this made the first princess look down, wondering even more what her father was really having them do with the trainers and their Pokemon.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the castle in Nohr, in a secret room, three figures were there, holding a secret meeting from everyone else.

"This has really gone on too far," a female of the three said. "I don't care about our mission any more if this keeps up."

"I can't help but agree," a male of the three said. "For the most part, things were quite enjoyable, but this? I don't think I can stomach it any longer if we leave things be."

"Yes! All this negative energy from these aliens are just too overbearing for even a great mage such as I!" the other male of the trio, and a loud one at that, exclaimed. The volume he used sent the other two in a panic, as the female gave him a good punch to the head.

"Keep it down, you idiot!" she hissed. "Do you want people to hear us?!"

"S-Sorry... But really, though. After what we experienced back home with them, the bonds we forged, knowing the truth about it all I just..."

"We know, Odin," the first male said. "If I can be honest, this whole thing makes me feel relieved our Pokemon haven't been discovered here. Who knows what they would do to them, or even us, if they found out? We were lucky we were made into retainers."

"Lucky is right. For us, and the Pokemon they gave us," the female agreed, taking out a Pokeball from her person.

Her mentioning their assigned 'partners' made the other two take out their own Pokeballs, containing the forced-submissive Pokemon.

"I never felt so powerless in all my life. Not even the constant comparison between me and my mom made me feel this way," the girl added.

"Surely there must be something we can do to help the trainers and Pokemon held captive," the first male said. "Odin. Surely you know some kind of magic that can help us sneak past the guards and free them."

"I'm afraid... not even the great Odin Dark can do a thing in this situation..." Odin said.

This made the trio look down, feeling ever more powerless with the situation at hand.

"In any case, we should return to our posts. If we linger here any longer, people are going to talk," the female said.

"I guess we'll figure out something in the mean time. Well Selena, Odin. Until next time," the first male said.

"You too, Laslow. Take care of yourself," Selena followed.

"Until we all can meet again," Odin ended.

With that, the trio left the room, returning to their duties.

* * *

Back in the Astral Plane, Corrin and Azura were by a small lake, watching their Pokemon play with each other as they spoke about how they met their partners. They knew how long the respective princess knew their Pokemon, but they didn't know how they really met their partners, or how they were allowed to keep them. Azura told Corrin of how Mikoto allowed Blue to stay last time they spoke of it, but not in full detail.

"So wait. You made a wish on a shooting star one day for a friend, and Rocky's egg appeared in your room?" Azura asked.

"Well, it's more that the egg shot itself in my room, through the window. Believe me, I was just as surprised when that happened," Corrin corrected. "Even more so, a puppy was born from the egg; not a bird or a wyvern. Not only that, but he was practically breathing fire from his mouth. You don't know how many times my siblings, servants and I had consider thinking Rocky might be half dog, half dragon. Even though there's nothing about him that looks particularly like a dragon. I bathed him multiple times, so I especially would know. Though I did question on why and how he has rocks on his neck. Until that Rock Throw training, of course."

"Kind of like me for Blue," Azura said, looking at their partners doing a little play fight with each other. "Besides the color, I thought there was something a little odd about him."

"I'm guessing it's because of how he blows bubbles from his nose?" Corrin asked, as Blue blew out some of said bubbles for Rocky to play with.

"Yeah. Our Hoshidan siblings and I had been wondering how it was possible. Questionable enough he was able to make bubbles from his own nose, but they are also surprisingly durable. In fact, back when we were kids, he made a bubble big enough to trap Takumi in it."

Hearing that made Corrin turn to her in surprise. "Wait, Takumi? As in our brother?"

"The same one who disowned us as his sisters," Azura confirmed.

Just like that, an image of young Takumi trapped in a bubble appeared in Corrin's head, causing the girl to stifle back a laugh. "That's actually kind of funny," she admitted.

"It was," Azura agreed, as the two princesses then let out some giggles.

A thought came to Corrin's mind. "Hang on. If Blue can make big, durable bubbles, have you ever tried using them to breathe underwater?" she asked.

"I had that thought as well, but we tried experimenting, and even if Blue can make a bubble big enough to fit a person, once the bubble is made and someone steps in, it either collapses on them or have them floating high up," Azura said.

"What if it's just big enough for your head to fit in?"

"That..." The songstress looked down in thought at that, her finger placed on her chin. "That... I actually never thought of that."

"We can always try now! I've always wondered what a lake, pond, or ocean would look like underwater. And maybe if we get some Pokemon practice in, it'll help improve the bubbles' endurance."

"Well, there is a small lake right in front of us to practice. Let's start."

Or so they say, but just as Azura said that, an explosion was heard nearby, prompting the pair of princesses and their Pokemon to turn to the direction.

"... Did that come from the battlefield?" Corrin asked.

"It seems to be in that direction," Azura answered.

Without another word, the group of four rushed over to the scene.

* * *

Minutes earlier, near the said place, Rinkah was wandering around with Blazerilla, checking the place out, when they heard the sound of battle nearby. "Huh? Is someone causing trouble around here?" she wondered, as they head toward the source.

When the pair arrived, Rinkah was surprised to see a pair of Pokemon going head to head with each other. One of them, she recalled, was the three headed, black and blue dragon, the other was a three-tailed bull. Practically in the center of it all, was Hayato.

"Will you guys just knock it off already?!" he shouted at the pair. Unfortunately, neither side stood down.

"What's going on here?!" Rinkah asked.

"Rinkah! Thank god you're here! Help me stop them!" Hayato called.

"Okay, but what's going on?! Why are they fighting?!"

"How should I know?! I was minding my own business when this happened!"

Tauros let out a loud bellow, his body covered in red aura as he stomped his hoof to the ground, via Work Up. He then charged on forward, covered in some light energy, right at Hydreigon. The Brutal Pokemon responded to this attack in kind, as he was covered by blue draconic energy and rushed back at him. The two attacks collided and created an explosion.

"I don't know what's going on, but we have to put a stop to this," Rinkah said. "You take the bull, Blazerilla!" At that command, she went charging into the fray, followed by her Darmanitan... with Hayato looking on in shock.

"Wait! You know we're suppose to stop them from fighting right?!" he asked.

Sadly, his question was ignored, as Rinkah engaged in combat with Hydreigon. "Whoa! Pokemon really are tough," she uttered, feeling the great force from the Dragon-type's Tri-Attack to her mace. She had blocked many attacks with the weapon, but none gave off the same power as the Pokemon's attack. Not even her father. "I know I should be stopping you, but I am kind of in a mood to spar. So, how about we dance?"

With Blazerilla, the Fire-type stood his ground as it blocked another Take Down from Tauros's charge. Due to the Work Up he used earlier, though, and undoubtedly a number of times before that, it took everything Blazerilla had to hold back the Normal-type. So much so, he was slowly being pushed back, inch by inch.

It was at this point, the others showed up.

"What the heck is going on here?!" Jakob asked.

Unlike him, Gunther, Misaki and Hayato, though, everyone else had neutral looks on their faces.

"What? This was what was going on?" Riana asked.

"I feel kind of stupid for worrying now..." Adrian uttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Why are you guys so calm?! You have to stop those Pokemon! And Rinkah!" Hayato exclaimed.

"A-Actually, this is pretty much something normal with Tauros and Hydreigon," Sakura told him.

"H-... Huh?"

Misaki, understanding the reason why, asked, "So, should we stop them before they possibly actually destroy something?"

"Do you have a Pokemon that knows Psychic or Confusion?" Riana asked back.

"Coming right up," Ali answered for her, calling out Cosmo. "And Hydreigon?"

"I got him." Riana called her Mimikyu out.

Nodding, the photographer of a trainer told her Cosmo, "Stop them with Psychic!" With that order, the Starmie's gem glowed, and three of the four brawlers froze in place.

"Huh? What the-?!" Rinkah gasped.

Hydreigon, however, was in the middle of firing a Hyper Voice at the girl and could not stop the attack in time. Thankfully, Mimikyu took the move head on, with no damage on its covered body.

Riana then walked up to the group. "Okay, you two. You both went a little too far with your sparring session today," she said to Tauros and Hydreigon. "Time for you both to take a breather now."

Both Pokemon had slowly calmed down, prompting Cosmo to let down the trio of victims.

"What the heck was all that about?" Hayato asked. "Rinkah is one thing, since she and her Pokemon were 'trying' to stop them, but what the heck happened to those two Pokemon?!"

"It's just their usual spar," Adrian answered. "Tauros, the Pokemon Miss Muscles' Pokemon was holding back, has a habit to go on a rampage. The only way to calm his kind down is if they battle against a strong Pokemon, a role Hydreigon, the Pokemon Miss Muscles herself was holding back, had gotten."

"Who are you calling 'Miss Muscles'?!" Rinkah questioned, knowing he was referring to her with that name.

"Oh? Would you rather I call you 'Miss Hothead'? Or maybe 'Heat Lady'? Then again with all those muscles you got, 'Miss Muscles' sound like a perfect fit." Rinkah was slowly getting angrier by the second with every insult coming out of his mouth, in which Corrin and Riana had noticed.

"R-Rinkah! Please calm down!" the princess requested.

"Yeah! Think of it as his way of getting to know you!" Riana said.

"Why would I-?" Before Adrian could finish that question, Ali stuffed an Oran Berry in his mouth.

"Back to the topic at hand, you mean to say that the fight is a normal thing here?" Hayato asked again.

"Yeah. And I guess because they saw this battlefield, they thought it was okay to step things up a notch. Although..." Riana trailed off, seeing the damage the pair had done to the area. Though not really much of a big deal, there were some slight signs of destruction, consisting of some craters, burn marks, and even hoof marks. "I'm starting to think this battlefield is not going to be enough if it went this far."

Both Tauros and Hydreigon looked down in slight shame at the damage they caused.

' _ **Sorry, I guess,**_ ' Corrin heard Hydreigon said.

"It's okay. This can be fixed," she assured.

"Actually, Lady Corrin. Rather than doing repairs, why not you create an arena instead?" Lilith suggested. "This way, no damage will be done to the rest of the plane as the Pokemon do their battle, and whatever damage is done in the arena will be fixed in an instant."

"That sounds convenient," Misaki said.

"Yes. Not only that, but everyone can participate and improve in their own strengths, and you can win more resources, though it's more of gambling. Ah! And there will be opponents ready to fight. Illusions, but still can do some damage if your not careful enough."

"We do need more resources, other than just berries," Azura pointed out. "Plus, this way we won't have to worry about going too far in training. Especially our Pokemon."

"And it would give some of us trainers a better feeling of home," Ali added. "Some of the more epic of battles take place indoors rather than out."

All their statements convinced the girl to summon out an arena. "Let me try something," Corrin said. She activated the Dragon Vein and focused, visualizing a coliseum in place of the battlefield. It took several seconds, but she managed to successfully create the building.

"Whoa! Nice one!" Riana commented.

"Since the coliseum was just created, there will be a limited number of opponents to fight for now. And it did take quite a large amount of Dragon Vein to make this," Lilith pointed out.

"It surely took a lot out of me to make this. More than the armories and shops," Corrin added. "Anyone want to give it a shot?"

As if answering the question, Tauros let out some bellows, stomping the ground a few times and whipping his three tails.

"I think you have your answer," Adrian said.

"Guess that battle earlier wasn't enough for him," Misaki stated.

Corrin turned to Hydreigon. "What about you? Do you want to try?"

Rather than answering her, the Brutal Pokemon just flew away, much to the confusion of some people.

"What was that about?" Hayato asked.

"It's... nothing," Riana answered, noticing how sad Corrin looked at Hydreigon's leave. "So, Tauros. You sure you want to give the Arena a shot?"

Tauros let out another bellow in response.

* * *

In the Arena coliseum, while Tauros was down on the battlefield, everyone else sat in the audience section above, observing to see how the battle will go and if the battle in general will go well.

The gates on the other side opened up, and a Fighter, Tauros' opponent, walked in, an Iron Mace in hand.

A gong was heard, and the Fighter charged at the Normal-type Pokemon with his weapon raised. Tauros stomped his hoof down with a Work Up, coating himself in red aura, raising his attack stat. His opponent swung his weapon down, in which Tauros blocked with his horn, deflecting the swing. He then proceeded to land a powerful headbutt at the illusion, knocking him back several feet via Payback.

"That looks painful," Sakura said, wincing at the hit.

Despite that, the fighter was not yet down, as he charged at Tauros once more, in which the Wild Bull Pokemon had responded in kind. This time, the illusion went for an underhand swing, and struck the Pokemon, forcing him back this time.

"You mean that looks painful," Mozu stated.

"True, but that Tauros has been through more than enough battles. That's not going to be enough to keep him down," Adrian pointed out.

True to his words, Tauros got back on his hooves. Instead of charging again, however, it bent down instead, almost as though in a defense position.

"Did it get scared?" Jakob asked.

"That can't be possible," Kaze disagreed.

The trainers, on the other hand, observed the movement, all having a funny feeling about the Normal-Type's action.

The Illusion Fighter, on the other hand, rushed at Tauros once more. With the Wild Bull Pokemon, the grey bumps on its forehead and his horns were slowly turning blue. Once the air around his head seemed to be vibrating, Tauros charged back at his opponent. As the pair closed in on each other, the Fighter swung his mace, aiming for the Normal-Type's face. Instead of making contact, however, somehow the mace got knocked deflected, and Tauros landed a harsh headbutt at his opponent, sending him flying into a wall, and effectively knocking him out.

"Whoa! What just happened?!" Rinkah asked.

"So it was as I thought," Riana spoke. "Tauros learned a new move."

"Guess all those sparring had finally paid off," Adrian said.

"Zen Headbutt. A move where the user focuses all their willpower to its head, to the point where it practically makes a small barrier of sort. Although the barrier itself isn't particularly big, it does help inflict more damage compared to a normal Headbutt, as well as has the possibility of causing the target to flinch," Misaki explained.

Hearing that got the group to look back at Tauros, who was happily jumping in celebration for both his victory and successfully learning Zen Headbutt.

* * *

After the battle and collecting the winning resource, the group left the arena, gathering around at the plaza.

"Okay. Is everyone ready to go?" Corrin asked.

"Yes, milady," Jakob answered for the group.

"Although, we seem to be having an extra member coming along," Misaki pointed out, gesturing to the Tauros with them.

This caused the whole group to turn and notice the Wild Bull with them.

"Tauros? You want to come along with us?" Sakura asked him.

Tauros let out a happy bellow in response.

"I guess now that he got stronger with a new move, Tauros wants to help us out with the mission," Ali said, having the wild Pokemon let out another happy bellow in confirmation.

"Well, there's always room for one more here," Riana said. "Corrin, you don't mind, right?"

"Of course not," the princess and leader answered. "All right. Let's go." With that, Lilith allowed them out of the Astral Plane.


End file.
